A survey involving all three million Umno members should be held to gauge the support for party president Abdullah Ahmad Badawi.

This call was made by Umno Youth executive council member Mukhriz Mahathir today.

In fact, he said, the survey was also the wish of the Umno grassroots.

kubang pasu division meet 090906 mukhriz Bernama reported him as saying that the survey could be conducted by distributing special forms to party members to enable them to state their actual stand.

Party members can be asked to decide if they support the present leadership or otherwise, added the Jerlun MP.

"There are probably many Umno members who wish to express their feelings but unfortunately they have been deprived of their rights by leaders who are more interested in their own position," he told reporters in Temerloh after attending a function last night.

Mukhriz said that he had met with several Umno members who had expressed their disappointment because their rights had frequently been denied.

These members have decided not to be active in the party, added Mukhriz.

Silent protest

"The silent protest by the party members is even more dangerous than open expression of opinion," he said.

Mukhriz said the grassroots members had also suggested that they be allowed to vote in the party elections in future.

Mukhriz has been a constant critic of Abdullah, also the prime minister, and has even openly urged the latter to step down for failing his task as the party president.

His father Mahathir, another vocal critic of Abdullah, had shockingly quit the party on May 19 in protest over the present leadership. He has vowed to return only after Abdullah has been replaced.

Mukhriz has indicated his willingness to vie for the Umno Youth chief post in party polls in December.