Khairy proposes 2 new Umno VP posts for women and Sabah
Published on: Thursday, June 21, 2018
PETALING JAYA: Umno president candidate Khairy Jamaluddin has pledged to introduce two more vice-president posts to the party – one reserved for a woman and another for a Sabahan. "If I win, I propose to set up two more Umno vice-president positions," Khairy announced his election promise at a press conference on Wednesday. He said the female vice-president's post will accelerate the process of achieving 30pc female representation in mainstream politics. ADVERTISEMENT "Right now, there is a glass ceiling for women to be Ketua Wanita Umno only, this female vice-president position will allow women to be a national leader and manage both national and women's wing issues," Khairy said. He said the second vice-president's post for a Sabah Umno leader is aimed to give that State's part of the party more autonomy. "We need to take care of Umno and Barisan Nasional in Sabah and respect the Malaysian Agreement 1963," Khairy said, adding that it will allow Sabah to be better represented in the highest levels of the party. ADVERTISEMENT Khairy said this proposal is just the start of what he has to offer to bring the party forward as the Umno President. "Vote for me because I represent stability and unity," he said.
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He added that Umno now needs to be seen as a credible alternative to the government of the day and embark on a life-long commitment to regain the trust of the rakyat.Meanwhile, on a proposed debate with Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah, Khairy said "anytime." He said he was up for a healthy debate with Tengku Razaleigh, who is also vying for the post of Umno president."Obviously, if there is a debate we need to determine who will be the moderator and all that," he said.Khairy said there were voices in Umno who were opposed to such a debate, but that he did not see an issue with it."This is seen as a contest within the family, so some have the view that as it is within a family, there should be no debate."But I say, why not? Because the people want to see democracy, and this will not only strengthen democracy in Umno but also in the country's political landscape," he said.Stay up-to-date by following Daily Express’s Telegram channel.
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He added that this would also show Malaysians that Umno candidates for party posts were chosen based on their ideas rather than just their personality.He said that the debate could focus on each president hopeful's views on the party's future.