'Win Pelangai first before discussing T'ganu Umno leadership change'

PELANGAI BY-ELECTION | The proposal to change Umno’s leadership for its Terengganu chapter needs to be brought to the political bureau first, said party deputy president Mohamad Hasan.

However, he pointed out that the party’s focus now is to secure victory in Pelangai for BN’s candidate Amizar Abu Adam before dealing with other issues.

“Let us bring that up in the political bureau... This political bureau is made up of (state Umno) chairpersons and we will discuss the position of Terengganu Umno and how we will deal with it if there is an election,” Mohamad said after a “Sembang Santai” session in Felda Chemomoi, Bentong last night.

Yesterday, it was reported that an Umno veteran had called for an immediate overhaul of the party’s leadership in Terengganu, which was struck by the “Green Wave” in the 15th general election last year and the state election in August.

Umno supreme council member Abdul Rahman Bakar was quoted as saying by Free Malaysia Today that Terengganu party chief Ahmad Said’s leadership needs to be replaced and for "the state party leadership to be filled by new faces while older leaders take on a more advisory role”.

Abdul Rahman, once dubbed the “giant killer” for defeating PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang in the Marang parliamentary seat in 1986 and 2004 elections, said changes should also be made at the branch to division levels as they are close to the grassroots.

‘People still love Umno’

In response, Mohamad asserted that Abdul Rahman is free to share his views.

“Let’s take it one by one, let’s finish Pelangai (by-election) first. I haven’t opened ‘that chapter’ yet. He (Abdul Rahman) can talk and give his views, God willing.

“But our focus now is to win in Pelangai,” he said.

On the “Green Wave”, Mohamad commented that it did not exist.

“People say ‘Green Wave’, I say there is no ‘wave’ actually. In fact, there were many protest votes and that’s all.

“People still love Umno, so we in Umno will do something to empower us,” he added.

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