Umno was wrong to appoint several supreme council candidates as 'undercover agents' to keep tabs on the happenings in the run-up to the party polls next month.

Puzzled by the move, a veteran party leader described the appointments as 'strange'.

"How could it be... by right those with a vested interest should not be picked to carry out such duties, what more someone who is a candidate," he said on condition of anonymity.

According to him, when he raised this matter with his peers, they said the candidates appointed as undercover agents could be those seen as not standing a chance of winning a place on the 25- member council.

"However, to me, the appointment is still not proper because whether they can win or not, they still have vested interests as they are still candidates," he stressed.

Last week, Umno executive secretary Brig Gen (R) Husainay Hashim announced the setting up of a network of eyes and ears to report to the party headquarters any cases of money politics.

On Sunday, Umno secretary-general Mohd Radzi Sheikh Ahmad revealed that the agents had detected cases of money politics involving several candidates, including a 'big gun'.

While declining to name the 'big gun', Radzi said all of them will be called before the Umno disciplinary board.

New tactics

In a related development, sources said several candidates vying for the top positions are skirting around the party's election guidelines.

"Candidates are not allowed to hold receptions for Umno members as that would be considered as campaigning.

"But what if someone else holds the reception during which a certain candidate just happens to turn up?" they said.

Since it cannot be established if the host had arranged the reception on behalf of the candidate, it would be difficult for the disciplinary board to take any action.

Eight candidates have qualified to contest for the three vice-president posts including the two incumbents, Muhyiddin Yasin and Muhammad Muhd Taib.

The rest are Malacca Chief Minister Mohd Ali Rustam, Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Mustapa Mohamed, Johor Baru MP Shahrir Samad, Federal Territories Minister Isa Samad and Pahang Menteri Besar Adnan Yaakob.

For the supreme council, 59 candidates secured at least 10 nominations each to qualify to contest.