KUALA LUMPUR: Umno veteran leader Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah said he is still considering contesting for the Umno presidency.
“I am still considering and (I’m) overwhelmed by the call to contest today,” he said during a question and answer session from Umno members attending the “Malay Dilemma Post PRU-14” forum here.
Tengku Razaleigh said he has sought the views of his family members, but “I am also concern if I will be able to cover all the 190 Umno divisions throughout the country. I will also be holding a special prayer to make my decision.”
Earlier in his speech at the forum organised by Persatuan Belia Generasi Merdeka, Tengku Razaleigh said that the younger generation should be given the opportunity to lead Umno and the country.
“I am confident the youth can lead and should be called to do so to lead future generation, not my generation.”
To a suggestion on having old and new leaders to lead Umno, he added the combination of old guards and young leaders is a good suggestion moving forward.
“But these leaders must be well accepted by the people. As a condition, the party leadership as well as those at the branch and division levels must have strict disciplines. Failing which, it will be difficult for Umno to bounce back.”
Yesterday, the veteran politician was reported as saying that the younger generation of Umno members need to come to the fore and offer themselves as candidates for key posts in the party.
This, he said, was essential in order to revolutionise and rebuild the Umno leadership into a line-up that was both strong and trusted by the grassroots.
Earlier, Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad was reported as saying that he regarded Umno Youth chief Khairy Jamaluddin as the best candidate for the Umno presidency in the party’s coming election.
To this remark, Khairy had responded that Dr Mahathir was just being sarcastic.
On June 1, Khairy announced that he will be contesting for the vice-president’s post.
He will be up against at least eight others including Umno Supreme Council members Datuk Seri Johari Ghani, Datuk Khalid Nordin, Datuk Seri Tajuddin Abdul Rahman, Datuk Seri Shahidan Kassim, and Datuk Mahadzir Khalid.