KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 19 — Umno president Datuk Seri Najib Razak today announced his intention to defend his post, as the party heads for nominations for the much-awaited party polls this Saturday.

He said he has received strong support from all levels, and believes the majority of party members want him to continue leading the party for another term.

“With humility, I accept their support by offering myself to contest as party president,” he said at a press conference here.

Najib’s announcement came ahead of proclamations by other prominent Umno leaders of their intentions to contest for top posts in the largest component party of the Barisan Nasional (BN) coalition.

Others who made their announcements today include deputy president Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin, who will defend his post, and Datuk Mukhriz Mahathir who is gunning for one of the three vice-president spots.

Najib said feedback gathered from the many branches during their meetings indicated that they wanted him to “move forward” in strengthening the party and put “religion, race and country” before all else.

He sidestepped, however, a question on former party president Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamed’s recent comments that Umno was a dying party, saying that Umno continues to be the backbone that is propping up BN.

“We did better in the last elections, and Umno continues to be the bastion of BN. What is important is the value system in Umno, fight for the interests of the party, that we continue to reject money politics, prioritise the interests of the rakyat... Umno members at all levels must portray this,” the prime minister said.

Najib added that Umno is a dynamic party that has proven that it is capable of balancing continuity of its objectives with the need for change.

This year’s party polls will be the first time it will be opened to members beyond the conventional delegates system, with some 146,500 members expected to vote for Umno’s next batch of leaders.

Nominations for party posts are scheduled to take place this Saturday, followed by elections for the Youth, Wanita and Puteri wings on October 12 and the Supreme Council elections on October 19.