Sunday June 15, 2008 MYT 3:26:17 PM

Ku Li wants Najib to remain as Umno’s No 2

By NIK NAIZI HUSIN

MENTAKAB: Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah, who has offered to contest the Umno presidency in December, said Datuk Seri Najib Razak would be his choice to remain as deputy president.

Describing his relations with the Deputy Prime Minister as good, he said he had worked well with Najib back in the days when he (Razaleigh) was finance minister.

However, he said he would leave it to party members to decide on Najib's post.

Tengku Razaleigh, who is the Gua Musang MP, said “power in the party should be returned to members” by abolishing the existing quota system.

He called on the Umno leadership to be grassroots orientated, with leaders at all levels to be elected by the party. “They should also be able to choose supreme council members without any restriction," he said during a dialogue session with the Umno branch leaders at Dewan Sri Mentakab on Sunday.

Tengku Razaleigh said divisions should also be given the power to choose the state liaison chairmen, who were now appointed by the party president.

“Umno is basically controlled by the leaders in Kuala Lumpur.

“In the future, branches and divisions should decide because they know very well who will work and serve the people and party," he said.