Old guard to go as divided Malays face up to recession

Old guard to go as divided Malays face up to recession

Kuala Lumpur
March 26, 2009

Women supporters follow UMNO's five-day conference in Kuala Lumpur on closed-circuit TV. The ruling party is undergoing a major overhaul following its recent election slump. Photo: Saeed Khan

DELEGATES of Malaysia's governing party are meeting to choose new leaders in the biggest revamping of leadership in decades and an attempt to recover from a humiliating election defeat of the old guard a year ago.

More than 2500 delegates from the United Malays National Organisation are attending the five-day congress amid heightened political tensions after the authorities on Monday banned the opposition's flagship newspapers for three months and used tear gas to break up a rally by opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim.

The UMNO, as the dominant party in the ruling National Front coalition, has been in power since independence in 1957. But never has it appeared more vulnerable than now: riven with infighting, corruption and favouritism, it is rapidly losing voter support and is left to govern a country facing an almost certain recession.

"This is the most critical time in the history of UMNO," Deputy Prime Minister Najib Razak said.

"We need to accept this challenge by making massive changes to the party and the Government. If we are not brave enough to change, we will be changed by the people," he told party newspapers.

The congress elects top party leaders, including its president, deputy president, three vice-presidents, 25 supreme council members and heads of the party's youth and women's wings.

The conference comes amid rising political tensions in Malaysia and increasing protests from angry minority groups.

Mr Najib will be elected unopposed as party president, a post that traditionally carries with it the office of prime minister. This is despite claims that he was linked to a murder case, an accusation he strongly denies.

He will replace Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, possibly on April 2 or 3.

Dissidents forced Mr Abdullah to step down and accept blame for the National Front's abysmal showing in the March 2008 general elections.

The party had failed to win its customary two-thirds majority in Parliament and conceded control of an unprecedented five states to the opposition. Party leaders acknowledge that failure to reform will almost certainly lead to an opposition victory in the next elections, due in 2013.

AP