Headline Umno should keep top 2 leaders MediaTitle New Straits Times Date 04 Jun 2013 Language English Circulation 136,530 Readership 330,000 Section Local News Color Black/white Page No 4 ArticleSize 297 cm² AdValue RM 4,825 PR Value RM 14,475 'Umno should keep top 2 leaders' SYED UMAR ARIFF In my opinion, these two are the ty s stability, he feared that it might stability: Najib and best leaders for Umno and they not bode well in the spirit of should remain at the helm. I have democracy. Muhyiddin should yet to see others who are credible "For me, Najib should contest to claim legitimacy and the oppor­ continue leading enough to lead the party," he said. Professor Datuk Dr Shamsul Am­ tunity to build his own team from ri Baharuddin of Universiti Ke­ the ground up," said Muhammad. party until next National Professors' Council po­ bangsaan Malaysia credited Najib litical cluster head Professor Dr and Muhyiddin with BN's victory general election Mustafa Ishak said the top lead­ at the polls. ership's post should only be con­ THE recently concluded gen­ He said because tested if there was a vacancy. eral election has shown the Umno won the major­ He said putting up the president return of Malay support to ity of the seats it con­ Umno, despite attempts by the op­ tested while the per­ and deputy president posts for con­ position to discredit the 67­year­ formance of other BN test would render the party frac­ old party. component parties tious. The increase in parliamentary was less than stellar, a "For example, the president's seats won by Umno —from 79 in stable leadership to post was filled by Najib after (for­ the 2008 election to 88 now — has revitalise the coalition mer party president) Tun Abdullah largely allowed Barisan Nasional to and the government (Ahmad Badawi) stepped down as continue governing the nation. must be in place. prime minister and party president Owing to these achievements "In the new political in 2009. and Prime Minister Datuk Seri Na­ environment, Umno "The only contest that took place jib Razak's success in returning is literally running the country between the top two posts was for Malay support, many feel the top with only a token contribution the deputy presidency, which two positions in the party should from other BN component parties. (which Muhyiddin won) was also left vacant after Najib assumed the remain with the incumbents. "The two must remain prime mipister and deputy prime min­ presidency." Analysts are positive that the Mustafa said Umno must con­ Umno party president and his ister to run the country. It is also in tinue to be led by Najib and deputy, Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin, Umno's best interest to keep its two top leaders, at least until the next Muhyiddin as the two had gal­ would be the pick of some 150,000 vanised support from Malays. members, who will general election," said Shamsul, "What is important now is for vote for the party's adding that leaving the top two posts uncontested was not new for Umno to be strengthened. The fo­ leaders by year­end, cus should not be on the contest for to strengthen Umno Umno, although opposition leader the presidency. further. Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim went "Najib and Muhyiddin have They said it was in against the tradition in 1993 by proven their worth in leading the the country's best in­ locking horns with the late Tun party, which is the backbone of terest for the dynamic Abdul Ghafar Baba for the deputy BN. Najib­Muhyiddin presidency. "The party must capitalise on the combination to con­ "Of course, this did not stop An­ election results and bolster its tinue leading Umno war from challenging Ghafar (in a strength as this will revitalise BN as contest which decimated the lat­ following its strong a whole." performance in the ter 's political career). But anyone general election. who wanted to contest for the pres­ I have yet to see Party veteran and former Umno ident and deputy president posts others who are secretary­general Tan Sri Sab­ must first obtain a certain quota of baruddin Chik concurred that for nominations from the Umno credible enough to now, the Najib­Muhyiddin leader­ branches." lead the party." ship was best for Umno, as they Universiti Utara Malaysia polit­ Tan Sri complimented each other's ical scientist Dr Muhammad Fuad Sabbaruddin Chik strengths in charting the party's Othman noted that although the former Umno future. tradition would maintain the par­ secretary­general.