Nov 20 2008
Can we play a role in determining our deputy prime minister
As readers may know, 3 people are fighting for the Deputy President position of UMNO. That person will become the next Deputy Prime Minister of Malaysia, barring any moves by opposition to peacefully take over the Dewan Rakyat with the consent of the King (or something like that).
Those three candidates are Muhyiddin Yassin, Ali Rustam and Muhammad Muhammad Taib.
Now, it makes me wonder if a person like Ali Rustam or Muhammad Muhammad Taib becomes the Deputy President, what can we do to reject them as Deputy PM in the future? One issues threats (humiliated PPP at their own AGM!) and racists statements all the time. Another is well known for his $1.7 million story (and RM17 million worth of properties). There’s no election in the near future, so we can’t do much.
I’m not supporting Muhyiddin for the matter. UMNO’s elections is their own internal matter. If the members practice bribery (also known as money politics in UMNO-speak), that’s their problem. But what worries me is that the future Deputy PM is chosen by being virtue of Deputy President of UMNO. Meaning those few thousand people in UMNO who is less that few percent of the country’s population is going to make the decision.
So where does that leave people like you and me who are not in UMNO? If someone don’t like the future Deputy PM, can he/she not vote for BN regardless of who campaigns in that person’s area? Would that Deputy be a bigger liability to BN coalition partners? Can the coalition members oppose the appointment of Deputy President of UMNO as Deputy PM? Would UMNO members consider this while voting?
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