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Husna Yusop (The Sun) PUTRAJAYA (April 3, 2008): Umno Youth chief Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein declared today he will not defend his post in the party election in December, refusing to openly endorse a possible successor.
“We have to look forward. We have to do changes and reforms, re-build the party and the wing. And if the Youth is still in a situation where they don’t know what my plans are come December, that becomes a barrier for us to move forward. “I feel today might be the right time for me to tell them about my plans after 10 years of building the Youth from the time when it was split to where it is now,” he said when asked why he is making the announcement early. Hishammuddin, who is also Education Minister, was speaking to reporters after announcing the ministry’s second report card for the Education Development
Master Plan (2006-2010). His announcement fuels speculation that he is going for a higher post. But when asked whether he was going for the deputy president or vice-president posts, he said it was something for the delegates to decide. Umno has three vice-presidential seats, one of which became vacant after Tan Sri Isa Samad was suspended after he was found to have been involved in money politics. The other two elected vice-presidents are Datuk Seri Mohd Ali Rustam and Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin. On whether Youth members are courageous and mature enough to choose a new leader, he said "yes" and he welcomes a contest. “Previously, what had hindered the two who had offered themselves was my own position. So now I am making it clear. Let there be no hindrance and those who feel they are qualified, they should offer themselves according to the normal process and let the delegates decide,” he said. It was reported yesterday that Datuk Mukhriz Mahathir and Datuk Seri Dr Mohd Khir Toyo had said they would offer themselves as candidates for the Youth chief post if Hishammuddin declined to defend it. Asked whether his vice chief Khairy Jamaluddin agreed with his decision not to contest, Hishammuddin said it is his right to do so. “When I make a decision, it is usually in the interest of the party. Not for the posts, material or money,” he said, adding he was not pressured to let go of the post. Asked whether he wants Khairy to contest for the Youth chief post, Hishammuddin said: “It is not for me to decide. I can only answer what is within my control.” On whether he has any personal preference of a successor, he said he has his own favourite but he would rather keep it to himself. When suggested that it is a tradition for the vice chief to move up the ladder once the seat is vacated, he said it is not necessarily so, as “(listening to) the voices from the ground, clearly they are in power”. On whether he would accept any nomination for the top two posts, he said he would not respond to that as it did not matter at this point of time. “Our duty now is to rebuild the party, look at how we have fared (in the election) and listen to the grassroot. We have no time to think of certain posts or chase after this or that. Our task is to rebuild the spirit of our members in certain states,” he said. He also said he did not expect a tough fight for the Youth chief post, “unless people are not sincere and honest in offering themselves”. When contacted for a response, Khairy said he did not have any comments for the time being while Mukhriz could not be contacted on his mobile phone.
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