Bring it on, Zahid says on contest for Umno leadership

Umno president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi says he is open to a challenge by anyone who aspires to hold the party's number one position in the upcoming party election.

Zahid, who is also a deputy prime minister and rural and regional development minister, said this would give an opportunity to about 160,000 delegates to choose the party's leadership, especially the positions of president and deputy president.

Speaking to reporters in Putrajaya today, Zahid said it was up to Umno representatives to make a choice, as well as to determine the direction of the party to ensure that Umno remains relevant on the political stage.

"Absolute power is the power of the representatives who represent the branches and divisions throughout the country," he said, when asked if the party's top two positions would be contested in the upcoming election, which must be held no more than six months after the general election.

In the 2018 election, Zahid was made president after defeating his two challengers, Khairy Jamaluddin and Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah. He obtained 93 votes compared with Khairy (51) and Tengku Razaleigh (23).
 
"In the previous election (2018), I was challenged by two party members but the result was in my favour. Not being arrogant or boastful, but this was proven in 2018," he said.

When asked if the party would invite any of the coalition parties in the government to attend the Umno general assembly next week, Zahid said Umno had decided against this. 

The 2022 general assembly was originally scheduled to take place on Dec 21 to 24, 2022, but was postponed to Jan 11 to 14.