Even with recent reforms to enlarge the voters base, the culture of money politics prevails in Umno, Mustapa Mohamed said.

Sinar Harian reported the Umno Kelantan chairperson and minister of international trade and industry as saying that he was informed of such wrongdoings, but voting representatives seldom report it because they often deferred to those in power.

NONE"We have changed the party constitution primarily to have a more transparent form of democracy and secondly, to wipe out money politics but I hear, even without proof or written reports, that money politics disease is not fully eradicated yet," Mustapa (right) said.

However, Mustapa said, he was making a general statement about the party and was not targeting any leader in particular.

"Whoever has money, maybe he will win and whoever has no money may probably lose... so weigh your choices carefully to choose those who truly fight for Malay rights, Islam and Umno," he said.

Meanwhile, outspoken Wanita Umno head Sharizat Abdul Jalil, who is defending her position in the elections tomorrow, was reported by Utusan Malaysia as having a new resolve.

Shahrizat told the Umno-owned daily that she is determined to make Wanita Umno the "backbone, and not just a party wing".

Although her popularity has waned somewhat after she was linked to the National Feedlot Corporation (NFC) scandal, Shahrizat appears likely to retain her position.

"In any contest, we must be careful... but I have self confidence, a vision to achieve. Win or lose, I leave it to the representatives," Shahrizat was quoted as saying.

Some 110,765 voters from 19,663 Wanita Umno branches nationwide will elect their national head tomorrow.

Shahrizat's challengers are Wanita exco member Maznah Mazlan and Raihan Sulaiman Palestin.