Umno Youth chief Hishammuddin Hussein today advised upcoming politicians against being race-centric or risk seeing a premature end to their career.

He said youth leaders who are only interested in championing the cause of their race will taste temporary stardom but lose out in the long run as Malaysia is a multiracial country.

"This perception among youth leaders who portray themselves as being concerned about their race alone will not help them have a bright future," he added.

Hishammuddin, who is also education minister, was speaking to reporters after attending the Gerakan Youth and Wanita 19th national delegates conference in Menara PGRM in Kuala Lumpur.

He was responding to a question on the call by Penang Umno Youth to rotate the state chief minister's post, which has been held for decades by Gerakan.

Be wise as well

Hishammuddin said upcoming politicians who only gave priority to issues concerning their race will not be selected as parliamentarians or party leaders by the top leadership.

"The topics brought up by youth leaders have become hot issues and they will gain a lot of support from various levels, but ultimately they must look at their future," he added.

Hishammuddin said in order to be leaders at the national level, politicians must not only be smart but wise as well.

He warned that leaders who capitalise on short term popularity for their personal benefit will not be forgiven by the top leadership and Malaysia's multiracial communities.

"Leaders unable to adjust and continue to play this kind of populist approach, will not go very far, not in a multiracial country or multi-component party like Barisan Nasional," added Hishamuddin, who is also BN Youth chief.

Hishammuddin's deputy, Khairy Jamaluddin, who is also the son-in-law of Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, recently stirred a hornet's nest when he said the Chinese community will take advantage of a weakened Umno.

After coming under fire, the 31-year-old Oxford graduate argued that he was misunderstood but refused to apologise for what he termed as 'defending the dignity of his race'.

Hishammuddin himself had come under scrutiny in the past over a keris-raising incident and the Umno Youth's threat to torch the Selangor Chinese Assembly Hall building for questioning the special privileges accorded to the bumiputeras.

No longer an issue

As for rotating the chief minister's post, Hishammuddin said: "Our position is clear that no Umno Youth leader will talk about it anymore."

"The chief minister (and Gerakan deputy president Dr Koh Tsu Khoon) has been kind enough to provide a channel, so as far as we are concerned, we are looking at that channel to resolve whatever issues that exist," he added.

Hishammuddin said the matter will be resolved through discussions and Penang Umno Youth will carry out a study, which is also expected to include the non-Malays.

The call to rotate the post was based on the assertion that Malays in Penang are being left behind in terms of development.

Recently, Umno Bukit Mertajam division chief Senator Musa Sheikh Fadzir also called on Koh to resign as chairperson of the Penang Water Authority on the grounds that Malays are being sidelined.

Speaking at the same press conference, Koh said those calling for the rotation should focus on the issues of the various communities instead of the post.

According to him, the rotation is no longer an issue because the prime minister has clarified the government's stand.

He said Gerakan has stopped discussing the issue and is currently concentrating on other national and international issues.

"Why do you want to talk about this issue while we are talking about national issues, we want to emphasise on international issues, let's focus on that," he told reporters.