Mukhriz claims certain Umno leaders 'block' entry of new members

Mukhriz claims certain Umno leaders 'block' entry of new members
Noor Hayati Muda, BERNAMA


KUALA LUMPUR, Mon:

As Umno members discuss the applications of three former Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) leaders to join the party, there are also those who allude to the difficulty of ordinary people becoming members.

They charge that Umno is an elite organisation that only allows a certain group to join it while other applications can take up to months if not years to be accepted.

Umno Youth executive council member, Datuk Mukhriz Mahathir, said this was due to the existence of "blocking" elements among lower echelon leaders who worry that their standing will be affected with the inclusion of new members.

"There were many such instances. Don’t assume that by filling a form, paying a RM1 membership fee, you can be an Umno member. Applications that I myself sent through the Jitra (Kedah) division in 2000 took six months to be accepted,” Mukhriz told Bernama here.

He said normally the problem arises when the applicant is a young person who is successful either in business or in education.

"Recently, when I was in Malacca, some people told me they only got accepted before the general election although they had applied six years ago,” said the Jerlun member of parliament.

Elaborating, Mukhriz said as a matter of policy, to join Umno a person had only to fill a form, pay RM1 membership fee and get the endorsement of the branch leadership.

"There should not be elements of bureaucracy as Umno is an open party for all Malays and the issue of difficulty of obtaining membership should not arise,” he said.

There are some, he said, who join the opposition parties after being frustrated of not getting their membership in Umno which they label as ’elitist’.

"As far as I know, joining opposition parties is very easy, some do it online. Not many whims. Umno should also be like that,” he said.

Umno Cheras division chief, Senator Datuk Syed Ali Alhabshee, admits hearing such complaints.

"I have heard of application forms being stuck at certain branches. I don’t know why,” he said.

He did not reject the possibility there were leaders who were worried that their positions would be adversely affected by new members and said the matter should be addressed as it especially blocked the entry of young new members.

"What is there to fear? If a leader discharges his duties and reposnsibilities sincerely there is no reason to worry about people wanting to join Umno,” he said.

However, he said, if there were former opposition party members, especially former Umno members, who wanted to re-join Umno they have to go through a different process.

"They should be called for an interview by the party’s management committee and questioned about their intention to re-join Umno. We do not want them to become thorns in the flesh,” he said.

He was referring to the applications of former PKR Youth chief, Mohamad Ezam Mohd Nor, and former Permatang Pauh PKR division chief, Anuar Shaari, both of whom had left Umno to join an opposition party.

Syed Ali said if both these leaders were accepted easily by the Umno leadership, there would be dissatisfaction among members who had been loyal to the party. — BERNAMA