on the proposed amendments to the Umno Constitution*
Here are five proposals for the reform of the Umno Constitution that I have advocated for some time now:
1. The president, deputy president, vice presidents and members of the supreme council to be elected directly. This ends the delegate system.
2. State party chiefs to be elected by the membership at state level, not appointed by the president.
3. The nominations quotas to be abolished
4. Parliamentary candidates to be nominated by their Divisions, not by the party president.
5. Top office holders in the party to refrain from holding top government positions.
(This is to separate party politics from the public responsibilities of government)
I explained in a blog posting in February this year that the above amendments were necessary if the party were serious about tackling internal corruption. These proposals also aimed to:
1. decentralize power in Umno, and make it a grassroots driven party again
2. restore democracy to Umno, and thereby its legitimacy
3. make Umno accountable, and thereby more responsive to its members and the rakyat
4. separate Umno’s internal political processes from the service we perform to the nation in government
5. open the doors to young people of talent and energy, thereby revitalizing the party and giving it a future
*Below are my answers to a set of questions posed to me last week by The Nut Graph. The interview is written up here.
Tengku, Umno President Datuk Seri Najib has already said the next party election would involve all 191 Umno divisions, with around 60,000 individuals voting. There are proposals to stretch this number to 650,000. What do you think about these proposed changes?
I don’t see why we are working ourselves into a sweat over this. There is a very basic principle at stake here: each and every member of Umno who has paid his RM1 subscription has the right to have a direct say in who represents him as President. Either we accept this principle, or we don’t. Are we afraid of our own members?
Among the amendments talked about of course, is also changing the nomination quota for the party’s top posts. Najib secured the presidency uncontested because you, his only declared opponent, had been unable to secure the 58 necessary nominations. Your feelings on this?
They shouldn’t just talk about it. They should do it. The nomination quota is an undemocratic and unconstitutional restriction. It is against the founding spirit of the party, which was open and grassroots driven.
What about the talk on restrictions for those vying for top posts – i.e. having to serve a minimum number of years at a certain level before contesting a higher post. Do you think this delay the rise of new talent within the party?
Every member of the party has a right to vote for his leaders. Every member of the party has the right to contest any position in the party. These are rights guaranteed by the Federal Constitution. Every society (and a political party is a society) is bound by the Federal Constitution through the Societies Act to apply these principles. It’s not just a matter of delaying talent, which of course it does. It’s about doing the right thing.
Tengku, do you think these proposed amendments will only be cosmetic or will they truly be able to bring about meaningful reform in Umno? Will it make a difference?
I proposed these amendments because I believe they will open the way to reform. Of course there are attempts to restrict their scope by imposing arcane restrictions on who can contest, etc. To ordinary party members these just look like self-serving attempts by the incumbents to block renewal. Umno needs a renewal of leadership, and that change must be driven once again by its ordinary members. Everybody knows this.
What else do you think needs to be done or looked into to bring about change within the party with regards to the constitutional changes?
Let’s just see if the Party leadership will allow these elementary reforms. Either we comply with the Federal Constitution and behave like a lawful, democratic party or we continue to waffle about reform. There is no other way to recover the trust of the people, and indeed of our own members.
http://razaleigh.com/
1. The president, deputy president, vice presidents and members of the supreme council to be elected directly. This ends the delegate system.
2. State party chiefs to be elected by the membership at state level, not appointed by the president.
3. The nominations quotas to be abolished
4. Parliamentary candidates to be nominated by their Divisions, not by the party president.
5. Top office holders in the party to refrain from holding top government positions.
(This is to separate party politics from the public responsibilities of government)
I explained in a blog posting in February this year that the above amendments were necessary if the party were serious about tackling internal corruption. These proposals also aimed to:
1. decentralize power in Umno, and make it a grassroots driven party again
2. restore democracy to Umno, and thereby its legitimacy
3. make Umno accountable, and thereby more responsive to its members and the rakyat
4. separate Umno’s internal political processes from the service we perform to the nation in government
5. open the doors to young people of talent and energy, thereby revitalizing the party and giving it a future
*Below are my answers to a set of questions posed to me last week by The Nut Graph. The interview is written up here.
Tengku, Umno President Datuk Seri Najib has already said the next party election would involve all 191 Umno divisions, with around 60,000 individuals voting. There are proposals to stretch this number to 650,000. What do you think about these proposed changes?
I don’t see why we are working ourselves into a sweat over this. There is a very basic principle at stake here: each and every member of Umno who has paid his RM1 subscription has the right to have a direct say in who represents him as President. Either we accept this principle, or we don’t. Are we afraid of our own members?
Among the amendments talked about of course, is also changing the nomination quota for the party’s top posts. Najib secured the presidency uncontested because you, his only declared opponent, had been unable to secure the 58 necessary nominations. Your feelings on this?
They shouldn’t just talk about it. They should do it. The nomination quota is an undemocratic and unconstitutional restriction. It is against the founding spirit of the party, which was open and grassroots driven.
What about the talk on restrictions for those vying for top posts – i.e. having to serve a minimum number of years at a certain level before contesting a higher post. Do you think this delay the rise of new talent within the party?
Every member of the party has a right to vote for his leaders. Every member of the party has the right to contest any position in the party. These are rights guaranteed by the Federal Constitution. Every society (and a political party is a society) is bound by the Federal Constitution through the Societies Act to apply these principles. It’s not just a matter of delaying talent, which of course it does. It’s about doing the right thing.
Tengku, do you think these proposed amendments will only be cosmetic or will they truly be able to bring about meaningful reform in Umno? Will it make a difference?
I proposed these amendments because I believe they will open the way to reform. Of course there are attempts to restrict their scope by imposing arcane restrictions on who can contest, etc. To ordinary party members these just look like self-serving attempts by the incumbents to block renewal. Umno needs a renewal of leadership, and that change must be driven once again by its ordinary members. Everybody knows this.
What else do you think needs to be done or looked into to bring about change within the party with regards to the constitutional changes?
Let’s just see if the Party leadership will allow these elementary reforms. Either we comply with the Federal Constitution and behave like a lawful, democratic party or we continue to waffle about reform. There is no other way to recover the trust of the people, and indeed of our own members.
http://razaleigh.com/
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