Najib and Muhyiddin nominated for president and deputy president's posts respectively

KUALA LUMPUR, FRI:

Datuk Seri Najib Tun Abdul Razak and Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin have received early nominations for the post of Umno president and deputy president in the party elections in March when two Umno divisions held their meetings today.

The Kimanis Umno division in Sabah and the Machang division in Kelantan were the first of the 191 Umno divisions nationwide to hold their delegates meeting.

Najib, who is the Deputy Prime Minister and Umno deputy president, yesterday offered himself as a candidate for the party presidency after Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi announced his decison not to defend his post on Wednesday.

Muhyiddin, who is Umno vice-president and the Minister of International Trade and Industry, announced his decision to contest the post of deputy president this morning.

In Machang, Najib was chosen with a majority as the candidate for the presidency although Gua Musang division head Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah was also proposed by the delegates. The division unanimously chose Muhyiddin for the number two post.
For the post of vice-presidents, the Machang Umno division nominated the Kelantan Umno Liaison head, Tan Sri Annuar Musa, Umno Youth national head who is also the Education Minister, Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Tun Hussein, and Higher Education Minister Datuk Seri Khalid Nordin. The Kimanis division nominated Hishammuddin, Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Dr Rais Yatim and Home Minister Datuk Seri Syed Hamid Albar.

The Tumpat division in Kelantan and the Besut division in Terengganu will meet tomorrow before 22 more divisions meet on Sunday.

At least 58 nominations are needed before a candidate is eligible to contest the post of president, 38 nominations for the deputy presidency and 19 nominations for the post of vice presidents.

Meanwhile, for the post of Umno Youth head, the contest at the moment appears to be between the incumbent Youth vice-head, Khairy Jamaluddin and Youth Exco member Datuk Mukhriz Mahathir when 12 Umno Youth divisions met today.

As at 7pm, Khairy was ahead with four nominations compared with three received by Mukhriz.

Incumbent Wanita Umno head Tan Sri Rafidah Aziz was the only one to receive nominations to defend her post after four Wanita Umno divisions (Kimanis, Machang, Bagan Datoh and Besut) held their meetings.

For the post of Puteri Umno head, three candidates have received nominations, namely the vice-head, Datuk Rosnah Abdul Rashid Sirlin, information head Datuk Shahaniza Samsuddin and Secretary Bibi Sharliza Mohd Khalid. Thirteen Puteri Umno divisions held their meetings today and so far, Rosnah received six nominations, Shahaniza, five while Bibi Sharliza received two nominations.