KUALA LUMPUR: While Prime Minister Mahathir Mohammed said the other day that leaders promised to avoid an outright power struggle for the vacant No 2 seat in the United Malays National Organization party, who will grab the post is certain to be a focus in the coming months.
UMNO’s three vice presidents and the top contenders for the position were quick to reiterate their commitment to refrain from publicly jockeying for the job.
Traditionally, whoever is UMNO deputy president becomes deputy premier, and Mahathir’s deputy and successor, Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, is set to vacate once his boss stands down. Mahathir is scheduled to relinquish all government and political positions in October 2003.
“God willing, there will be no power struggle,” said Najib Razak, defence minister and one of UMNO’s three vice presidents. He also urged UMNO members to heed Mahathir’s advice to put the party’s agenda ahead of personal ambition.
Najib, son of the late premier Abdul Razak, is viewed as the strongest contender for the UMNO deputy presidency, a step away from the vice presidency in the party’s pecking order.
Another UMNO vice president, Consumer Affairs Minister Muhyiddin Yassin, urged party members to respect Mahathir’s wishes.
On Wednesday, Mahathir said UMNO leaders had agreed with all aspects of his transition of power plan.
“All UMNO leaders promised not to jostle for the deputy president position,” he told a crowd of about 3,000 supporters who welcomed him back from his 10-day Italian holiday.
Wednesday marked the first time Mahathir spoke publicly after his shocking June 22 announcement that he was calling it quits after 21 years.
A third UMNO vice president, former Selantor chief minister Muhammad Taib, warned that instability could emerge within UMNO if a power struggle occurred, jeopardizing the country and the economy.
The competition for the deputy presidency, which Abdullah currently holds, is expected to be intense because no party leader, apart from the tough-talking Mahathir, has stood out in the past few years.
But sources close to Abdullah indicated the soft-spoken Pak Lah — or Uncle Lah as he is affectionately called — may name his preferred deputy rather than leave it to the vagaries of party elections.
A party election is not due until 2003, and senior UMNO officials have hinted it may
be postponed to 2005, so
that UMNO and the ruling Barisan Nasional coalition can focus on the next general election.—dpa
