Forget party election, concentrate on by-elections - Rafidah

KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 20 -- Wanita Umno head Tan Sri Rafidah Aziz wants members of the movement to forget temporarily the campaign for the party election in March and instead concentrate on the campaign for the by-elections in Bukit Gantang in Perak and Bukit Selambau in Kedah.

"To me, they (the by-elections) are priority, and I've switched off my mind on the contest for party post and I'm focusing on the contests for the two by-elections," she told reporters after chairing the Wanita Umno exco meeting which lasted about two hours, here today.

She said that the campaign for the party election should not be 'too extreme' to the extent that members were 'not talking to their rivals'.Bernama

Truthwatch: The Umno elections are getting to be hotter by the day as March 23 Umno General Assembly becomes nearer and nearer . But the members should not forget the bigger picture that at the end of the elections all parties should come back together. It is not the case of winners take all. This will weaken the party as can be seen after the fight between Mahathir and Tengku Razaleigh/Musa Hitam in 1987. Also the expulsion of Anwar Ibrahim in 1998. Both events had greatly weaken the party. In the 1990 BN lost Kelantan state and in 1999 GE the Malays were divided and BN won two third majority with the support of the non malays.

This is the political reality. In 2008 GE BN lost 5 states. Recently it managed to get back Perak through defections. UMNO as the backbone of BN must make sure that winners doesnot take all. The party must consolidate after the party elections. There are no other alternative.