JOHOR BARU, Oct 26 - Umno upstart Datuk Nur Jazlan Mohamed today quit the race for the party deputy presidency, telling his Pulai division meeting that he will carry on as the voice of the young while trusting the incoming party leadership to push for changes and reforms.Nur Jazlan, who announced his interest on Oct 4, has not received any nominations for the post.
Instead party elders have criticised him with former president and prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad calling him and two others "jokers" for their quest. Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin leads the pack for the No 2 post with 52 nominations, followed by Datuk Seri Mohd Ali Rustam with 16 and Tan Sri Muhammad Muhammad Taib with nine.
"I am withdrawing my candidacy but I remain the voice of the young pushing for reforms. I believe the new leadership can carry out the reforms," the two-term Pulai MP said when opening the division meeting here.He is defending his division post against his deputy Datuk Osman Sapian, who is also Kempas assemblyman, The 42-year-old chartered accountant was the deputy division chief between 2001 and 2003 and won the post in 2004.
Nur Jazlan, who joined Umno in 1988 at the behest of his father - former Umno secretary-general Tan Sri Mohamed Rahmat - was an Umno Youth exco member between 1996 and 2004, when he first stood in Mohamed's Pulai stronghold.
He also told the division he will leave his future to Umno delegates. "It is up to Umno to decide how and where I and other younger leaders can contribute to the party," Nur Jazlan said.
Former deputy prime minister and Umno deputy president Tun Musa Hitam lamented earlier this week that the party is in dire need of drastic change and young blood as its losing popularity among the public.
"I understand that the experience of seniors is needed for top posts like president or vice-president, but other than that, they should choose the younger ones," he said, adding the party had been raising the same issues which were raised 20 or 30 years ago, and bickering about emotional rather than substantial issues, such as the economy.
Musa claimed that Umno was "too introverted" by focusing on its own problems and looking for acceptance among its own members, but not the people, whose perceptions would determine its future.
"It is important for Umno to realise that it has lost its popularity because of public opinion. What the nation wants is a party that is sensitive to their needs and is one step ahead of citizens' thinking," the retired politician added.
The Umno supreme council last week debated reforms within the 62 year-old party while delegate conferences thus far have been nominating a younger set of leaders for the three vice-presidential slots.
Outgoing youth chief Datuk Seri Hishamuddin Hussein is leading the pack of hopefuls followed by Datuk Shafie Apdal, Datuk Seri Abdul Zahid Hamidi and Datuk Khaled Nordin with all already qualifying for the vice-presidency.
The nominations period will end Nov 9 with 77 out of 191 divisions having conducted their meetings by last night. -- MI
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