JOHOR BARU, June 25 — In a rare move in the birthplace of Umno, four of Johor Umno’s senior division chiefs will not be defending their positions during the party election this week.
The four are former deputy transport minister and Sri Gading chief Datuk Abdul Aziz Kaprawi; Tanjung Piai chief Datuk Md Othman Yusof; Mersing chief Datuk Abdul Latif Ahmad; and Kota Tinggi chief Datuk Daing A. Malek Rahaman.
Both Md Othman and Daing A. Malek are corporate businessmen in their own right and also said to be close to the Johor palace.
Johor Umno secretary Datuk Md Jais Sarday said that 10 out of 26 division chiefs won uncontested, while Muszaide Makmor, who was previously Kota Tinggi division vice-chairman, won the chief post unopposed.
“From there, a total of 14 divisions will see straight fights but Bakri and Batu Pahat divisions would see three-cornered fights during the party’s coming election,” he said in a statement released to the media.
The party’s nine divisions that won uncontested were: Pagoh (Ismail Mohamed), Ledang (Datuk Hamim Samuri), Muar (Datuk Seri Razali Ibrahim), Parit Sulong (Datuk Zulkurnain Kamisan), Ayer Hitam (Datuk Samsol Bari Jamali), Kluang (Datuk Md Jais Sarday), Sembrong (Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Tun Hussein), Pengerang (Datuk Seri Azalina Othman Said) and Pontian (Datuk Hasni Mohammad).
Md Jais said among the division chiefs who will be defending their posts are state Umno chairman Datuk Seri Mohamed Khaled Nordin, Johor Baru division chief and party veteran Tan Sri Shahrir Abdul Samad, as well as former deputy home minister Datuk Nur Jazlan Mohamed, who is also the party’s Pulai division chief.
From there, he said 16 Umno divisions will see contests, while 10 will not see any challenge for the party’s division chief post.
Barisan Nasional and its lynchpin party Umno suffered its worst defeat during the 14th general election on May 9 in Johor.
Umno always regarded the southern state as its bastion from the start of its rule six decades ago, controlling the state assembly by a two-thirds majority at every general election held until it was almost decimated at the polls last month.
