UNO?

THE new Umno line-up is a potent and cohesive team, said its president Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak.

Najib, who is Deputy Prime Minister, said the delegates had chosen leaders who could work as a team, strengthen the party as well as the Barisan Nasional.

“I believe the team is accepted by the people and this exudes confidence that what we had promised in terms of transformation could be implemented,” he said when visiting the media centre at PWTC.
In the elections, International Trade and Industry Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin won the deputy presidency.

The three vice-presidents elected were Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, Education Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Tun Hussein and Unity, Culture, Arts and Heritage Minister Datuk Seri Mohd Shafie Apdal. — Bernama

KHAIRY Jamaluddin deserved the victory in the Umno Youth chief contest as he had worked hard for it, said outgoing Umno president Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi.

“That’s the truth,” Abdullah said yesterday of his son-in-law’s win in the polls on Thursday.

Khairy had triumphed over Datuk Seri Dr Khir Toyo and Datuk Mukhriz Mahathir in the contest.

Abdullah said Khairy worked hard in campaigning so much so that he had been away from home for a long period of time.

“When I go over to see my grandchildren, I ask Nori (Khairy’s wife) ‘where’s Khairy?’. She’s says he’s been going here and there and all over the place,” he said.

“I said he must be working very hard and his wife said ‘yes he’s been working very hard’.”

Abdullah denied that many people did not like Khairy.

“If many did not like him, then he would not have won,” he said.

On Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad’s explanation that he stayed away from the general assembly because of money politics in the Youth elections, Abdullah said he did not want to comment.

Abdullah reiterated that everything was done according to the party constitution and election regulations.

On his advice to Khairy, Abdullah said he told his son-in-law that campaigning was different from winning and assuming the post.

“What the party hopes for is for the movement to unite and be strong once again,” he said, adding that Khairy knew the importance of closing ranks in the movement.

Abdullah noted that in any election there would be winners and losers but when the choice has been made, it was in the interest of the party to accept the new line-up.

“This applies to all – the supreme council and the wings. Only then can Umno become strong,” he said.

[Saturday March 28, 2009, theStar Online ]