An Umno veteran has called on the party's supreme council to give deputy president Mohamad Hasan (above) full mandate as the party's acting president.

This is as opposed to Mohamad's official position as "deputy president carrying out the president's duties".

"The mandate must be given to Mohamad to give him full power to carry out his duties and responsibilities in rebuilding and strengthening Umno, beginning this year," Kluang Umno division chief Jais Sarday said in a statement today.

Mohamad assumed the Umno president's duties last month after Ahmad Zahid Hamidi decided to take leave from the position.

Under Umno's constitution, a deputy can only become acting president if the president has been terminated. This is understood to be either via resignation or by sacking.

It is not clear if any limit has been imposed on the powers of Mohamad in his present position.

Meanwhile, Jais (photo, above) proposed that Mohamad set up two teams to help him.

The first team, he said, would focus on revitalising Umno by going down to the grassroots and rebuilding confidence in the party.

The second team, Jais added, would focus on making Umno an effective opposition, both in Parliament and in the various state assemblies.