UMNO members should keep their society problems internal...

UMNO is a political party - a society with its own members...and all their internal party issues should be dealt with amongst its members. (Same applies to BN as well...)

I do not understand why UMNO members are now going to the national media to state this and that about what are really internal party struggles and issues... and the blame for doing this lies also in their own President, Deputy President and even its Supreme Council members...

Really, the rest of Malaysia is not that interested in your INTERNAL politicking and stuff like that...You need not go tell reporters this and that about internal party/society matters.

Don't UMNO have their own internal party newspaper(or an e-Group or a BLOG) for communication between its members, or have they been too long in power to believe that it is their communication tools are the NST, Star, Berita Harian, Bernama, RTM..

UMNO President and Deputy allegedly make agreement about when the No. 1 is going to hand over the power to the No.2 - and then the Supreme Council "agrees" with the decision - and that is in all the newspapers...This Division support...that person support...all in the national media..

Then someone says he does not agree with it - and it should be sped-up... Then someone allegedly goes back on the agreement and says that Division members must decide...and then someone else again goes to the press and says that this is right and that is not...

Umno members are not obligated to follow what is merely an understanding between the two leaders over the party’s leadership transition plan.

The association of former Barisan Nasional MPs and assemblymen, Mubarak, said that it fully supported the statement by Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak that delegates at division meetings be allowed to decide for themselves instead.

Mubarak president Tan Sri Abu Zahar Ujang said Najib’s statement was “spot-on” and reflected a proper understanding of the party’s Constitution.

“The understanding that was reached was merely that - an understanding,” he told reporters at a press conference here on Sunday.

Abu Zahar said even an understanding needed to be endorsed first by party members before it could be accepted.

“Article 9(3) of the party Constitution says that the party president, deputy president and all supreme council members have to be decided by the members,” he said. - Star, 14/9/2008 - Umno members ‘need not’ follow transition plan

Of course, this comes after Mohd Najib Razak talks to the media after opening the China Guangdong-Malaysia Business Conference

The transition of power in Umno must be decided by delegates at the party’s division meetings, Umno deputy president Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak said.

Najib, who is also Deputy Prime Minister, said he would leave it to members to decide on the transition plan. The division meetings will convene after Hari Raya Puasa....

“As Umno is a democratic party, the matter must be decided by members through the internal process, which is at the division delegates meetings and subsequently at the general assembly,” he said after opening the China Guangdong-Malaysia Business Conference here. - Star, 13/9/2008, Najib wants Umno delegates to decide on transition plan

And, of course the UMNO President himself is also guilty of discussing what should be internal UMNO society matters in the public arena...

It is not proper for the transfer of power plan between the prime minister and his deputy to be raised again, Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi said.

The prime minister said this was because all efforts must now be focused on fulfilling the people’s want – development.

He said raising the power transition plan would only give rise to all kinds of speculation and campaigning...

Abdullah reiterated that the decision on the transfer of power had already been agreed upon by him and Najib, and endorsed by the other party leaders and the Cabinet.

The prime minister said the plan’s rationale was to maintain political stability so that focus would be on development. - Star, 13/9/2008 -'Hold all transition talk'

Now, there is a whole lot of presumption here - because not only were these UMNO members talking about the transfer of the Presidency of UMNO from one to the other, but also the transfer of the Chairmanship of the BN ...and the transfer of the Premiership of the country as well.

If the current No.2 does not become the next President of UMNO ...when was it?...yes 2010, will he still be the head of BN then?

Maybe the BN(assuming they still are around then) may want to chose some other as the Chairman of the BN. Maybe they may chose Anwar, if the PKR suddenly do go and join the BN - too many factors.

Prime Minister - that really is a matter for the MPs to decide - for the Yang Di-Pertuan Agung to decide... and also if the BN does no longer have majority control, then no use for UMNO to be planning on the PM in 2010...(anyway, nothing wrong with hoping...)

It is so feudal for the top 2 to deciode on power transition and expect...demand that all other members fall in line and agree...

Even, Najib's apparent 'democratic' stance now has its flaws - Why should it be decided by the Divisions only? Should it not have been decided by all the members of UMNO during the Branch level meetings? Or are the branches going to have 'emergency meetings' to discuss this matter so that their reps to Division meetings carry the position of the members at the branches to the Division meetings - not some other personal position.

See, I too have gone off tangent --- and started discussing what should be internal UMNO party matters..

As I said earlier, UMNO members and leaders should stop using the mass media as their own tool of internal party communication with other party members...

Remember that UMNO is nothing but a society - that is all.

The current Prime Minister and the executive must learn to keep separate their executive (government) functions and duties - and their own political party affairs...

It is sad that internal society power struggles and problems sometimes cause others to suffer.

I belive that these recent arrests under the ISA is a consequence of these problems - maybe a distraction - maybe a 'message' to some parties...

OR maybe just the police doing their job fairly and indiscriminately...