Will UMNO members OBEDIENTLY give up their right to choose their President? and Next President?

"King" Abdullah has pronounced that he will remain as the UMNO president until June 2010 and thereafter he will hand-over the Presidency to Najib Razak. That is it - the decision has been made.

Something is so wrong with this picture as UMNO is hopefully not a feudalistic party with a King, who tells members who the next King will be - hence depriving members the ability to choose freely who they would want to be the next President of UMNO. Will UMNO members allow this? Would they not demand their right in choosing the No. 1 and 2 of UMNO - for after all since 1987, membership of UMNO has not really exercised their democratic right to vote for their No.1 and No.2 in UMNO.

Few days ago, I was shocked when UMNO Division leaders in Penang (and then a few other states came out and said) that they want Abdullah as President and Najib as No.2 -- If I were a member of UMNO in any of the branches in Penang, I would be drafting a motion of sanction against this so called leaders of UMNO for shooting off their mouths publicly even before the Branch meetings and Division meetings are held - meetings that will also at the end of the day be deciding who they will be nominating for President, Deputy President, Vice President....etc of UMNO. Come on...these division leaders were wrong to do what they did - even before they listened and got the agreement of the membership.

Will Ku Li get sufficient nominations now to stand for President (especially since UMNO of course choose to keep that enormous hurdle of requiring so many nominations before one can contest for President), and after "King" Abdullah of UMNO has already proclaimed that Najib will be his successor in June 2010, no matter what.....mmm.

And so will it be in UMNO, that this "King" shall continue to also decide who be the Menteri Besar or the "Head" of UMNO in particular state...who shall be the candidate that runs for elections. Members of UMNO did show show protest and a desire for change in Trengganu and Perlis... Was that a flash in the pan only?

Will there be total loyalty to King Abdullah's decree that there be no contest for top 2 position as he will be No. 1 and Najib be No.2...

Let us not forget that this King Abdullah of UMNO is not a Sultan or the King (YDP Agung) - and as such, he cannot behave like a King and expect all members of UMNO to just blindly unquestioningly accept and follow his will.

Why do I bother about UMNO - just another political party, after all. Well, the spirit and practice of democracy, accountability, transparency, etc...must be present at all levels - not just during General Elections - but also at branch level, division level, party level, society levels, union levels, etc..

When Abdullah Badawi goes for a Supreme Council meeting of UMNO, is he using government vehicles and money?