UMNO members in branches do not have a say in who will be UMNO President...

According to the UMNO Secretary General, the infamous Tengku Adnan Tengku Mansor:-
UMNO grassroot members at the Branches have no role in the choosing the leadership of UMNO at the national level
- they should just pick the candidates for the Division-level leadership, and their divisional reps to the the National level General Meeting of UMNO.
- Branch level UMNO members, in short the ordinary UMNO members should not waste time discussing as to who should be President or Deputy President at branch-level meetings...
- they should 'unquestioningly' just accept the announced transition of power plans

Setiausaha Agung Umno, Datuk Seri Tengku Adnan Tengku Mansor menasihatkan cawangan Umno tidak membuang masa mengemukakan calon untuk mengisi jawatan Presiden, Timbalan Presiden dan Naib Presiden dalam persidangan tahunan masing-masing.

Katanya, mengikut Perlembagaan Umno, cawangan hanya perlu menentukan calon bertanding pada peringkat bahagian, seterusnya mewakili bahagian ke Perhimpunan Agung Umno pada Disember ini.

....Tengku Adnan berkata, tindakan beberapa cawangan mengemukakan calon bagi jawatan Presiden dan Timbalan Presiden dikhuatiri boleh mengkucar-kacirkan keadaan dan menjejaskan kestabilan dalam Umno. Katanya, Presiden Umno, Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi sudah mengumumkan pelan peralihan kuasa kepada Timbalan Presiden, Datuk Seri Najib Razak dan berikutan itu jadi tidak timbul soal pencalonan ini kerana bimbang akan mengkucar-kacirkan keadaan.- Berita Harian Online, 28/7/2008 - 'Jangan buang masa kemuka calon tertinggi'

And in the same paper, we find this report about how 13 Divisions will be nominating Abdullah for President and Najib for Deputy -- and mind you the Branches are just meeting - and the Divisions have yet to meet...

Kecuali Umno Gua Musang, 13 lagi bahagian di Kelantan dijangka mencalonkan Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi dan Datuk Seri Najib Razak mengekalkan jawatan Presiden dan Timbalan Presiden parti pada pemilihan Umno, Disember ini.

Ketua Penerangan Umno Kelantan, Datuk Mohd Alwi Che Ahmad, berkata ia selaras dengan pendirian Badan Perhubungan Umno Kelantan yang mahukan Abdullah dan Najib terus menerajui parti sehingga peralihan kuasa yang dipersetujui antara mereka disempurnakan. - Berita Harian Online, 28/7/2008 - 13 lagi bahagian mahu Pak Lah, Najib

Did the 13 Divisions consult the membership in all its branches - and is that what the membership said they wanted --- ooops but then UMNO Secretary said Branched should not be wasting their time talking about who should be the next President and Deputy President of UMNO...

And there would be elections of Division leaders as well this time around - and so all these current (but maybe soon to be unseated) Division leaders are just talking without any real support from the ordinary grassroot UMNO membership... (If I am a UMNO member, I would definitely sanction these Division leaders for shooting off their mouth before getting the mandate of their members at the branches, etc...)

Interestingly, this trend within UMNO is also at the State levels as well....

State Umno liaison committee chairman Datuk Ahmad Said has cautioned party members against undermining his efforts to unify the party in the state after most branches showed signs of contest for the top division position.

Ahmad seemed disappointed that members were ignoring his earlier advice that there be no contests.

The Mentri Besar, who spoke to state Umno leaders, including those in the wings, here on Saturday night renewed his call to members to refrain from taking any action that could split the party and affect its chances in the next general election.- Star Online, 28/7/2008 - 'Umno members urged not to contest for top division posts'

UMNO leaders are trying to suppress the fundamental right of the members at the base...branch levels in choosing their leaders at all levels ....especially the National President and his Deputy.

The message is listen to your leaders....OBEY...OBEY....do not cause trouble...do not rock the boat....What is happening in UMNO now sounds so familiar because it was just the same kind of thing that was happening to all Malaysians as well.

Well, Malaysians have awoken from their slumber and have 'disobeyed the leader' and voted in the opposition into 5 state governments, and deprived the BN of the 2/3rd majority.

Now, we focus on UMNO members to see what they will do....will they still OBEY OBEY and follow the expressed wishes of their supreme leaders .... Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, najib Razak...now Tengku Adnan Tengku Mansor and even Ahmad Said.

Why bother with UMNO - because it is our duty to spread democracy and positive values/principles at all level - and they are also Malaysians. Democracy and democratic practices is not just for General Elections - but should be there at every levels even the UMNO, its branch levels, its Division levels and the national levels.

If UMNO members realize the meaning of "people power", "kuasa rakyat" and "makkal sakti" - it will be great.

If only they can realize that it is the people who has the power, who decides..who chooses the leaders..... not the leader that choses all the other leaders now and for ever...