Hisham: Time not right for Ku Li to go for No 1

It is “not a conducive time” for Umno veteran Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah to contest for the party top post in the upcoming Umno’s poll, Youth chief Hishammuddin Hussein said today.

On Wednesday, Razaleigh offered himself as a candidate to challenge Umno president Abdullah Ahmad Badawi for the top post “to heal the party” after its worst electoral setback at the March 8 general elections.

Hishammuddin however poured cold water on the idea and said the Youth wing will not give support to Razaleigh, the Gua Musang division chief in Kelantan who is fondly known as Ku Li.

“I don’t agree with this at all ... we have voiced our support for the (current) leadership to rebuild the party.

“The time is not conducive on what he (Razaleigh) is trying to do because this raises questions whether he is sincere or trying to take advantage (of the current political crisis),” he told reporters in Putrajaya.

Hishammuddin, who is also education minister, was met at his ministry after chairing the first post-cabinet meeting.

His new deputies, Dr Wee Ka Siong and Razali Ismail, were also present.

Hishammuddin also said that it was “not appropriate” for Razaleigh to offer himself to run in the party polls at a time when the nomination process has not even started.

Asked whether he was of the view that Razaleigh’s move would divide the party, the Umno Youth chief retorted, “I don’t know, you have to ask him”.

Razaleigh’s offer was made in the wake of calls for Abdullah, who is also the premier, to step down after the ruling Barisan Nasional’s dismay electoral performance which shook the party.

A number of senior Umno officials have resigned to take responsibility for the debacle.

Razaleigh, 71, has argued that he was not too old to lead Umno if he could secure enough nominations for him to run in the party election to take place later this year.

Razaleigh had previously challenged and narrowly lost to then Umno president Dr Mahathir Mohamad in the 1987 party elections.

In 2004, he tried to challenge Abdullah for the presidency but failed to obtain the necessary nominations beyond the single one from his Gua Musang division. He needed about 60 nominations to clinch the right to challenge the Umno leader.

'You can't fool the people all the time'

Meanwhile, Hishammuddin said opposition politicians could not keep fooling the people.

He made the remark when commenting on the inconsistency of certain policies in opposition-ruled states such as the New Economic Policy (NEP) and Islamic ‘hudud’ law.

“I would like to know what is said by the Penang chief minister would be agreed upon by the menteri besars in Kedah, Perak or Selangor? Do they have a consensus on NEP and ‘hudud’ law?”

“It is a new political landscape in Malaysia ... you cannot fool the people all the time. You can fool some people sometime, but not all people all the time,” he said.

On the series of rallies held to protest against the new state governments which are in opposition’s hand, Hishamuddin claimed that they were not planned by the Umno Youth.

“I have always been very consistent - where it goes against the laws or affect the safety of the country, I will never allow them to do that,” said the politician.

He nevertheless advised these new state government leaders to be responsible in making remarks related to race and religion, or face the wrath from the people.

Umno Youth backs Malay unity group

To another question, Hishammuddin said he supported the formation of the Malay Unity Action Front yesterday so long as its objective is “sincere”.

The front was reportedly comprised of 25 Malay and Islamic NGOs with the aim of uniting all Malays regardless of their political allegiance.

The coalition is planning to hold a mass rally in either Kuala Lumpur or Putrajaya and it said leaders from the two major Malay-based parties, Umno and its rival PAS, will be invited to attend.

On education, Hishammuddin said he was “still working” on re-opening the original SRJK (C) Damansara school which was controversially closed in 2001.

He conveyed his condolences to the family of Save Our School committee chairperson Yong Yoke Sung, who passed away last Monday. The committee has fought for the school reopening in the past seven years.

“I am saddened (about Yong’s passing) but my commitment to him (to find a solution for the school) stays,” said the minister, who met the committee for the first time since 2001 in the run-up to the March 8 general elections.

He however had argued then that he could not reveal the solution as he did not want the matter to be politicised.