Musa hopes Tenom Umno can convene meeting soon

12 November, 2008

Musa hopes Tenom Umno can convene meeting soon 12 November, 2008

Kota Kinabalu: Umno Tenom chief Datuk Rizalman Abdullah has been advised to co-operate with the State Umno liaison body so that the division can convene its annual delegates meeting as soon as possible. Chief Minister Datuk Seri Musa Aman, who is also Sabah Umno chief, said the division was the only one out of the 24 Umno divisions in Sabah that failed to hold its meeting before the Nov 9 deadline.

"We (Sabah Umno) have been in communication with the party headquarters and we will be sending a representative once more to investigate what is the real problem. "If possible, we want the problem to be resolved so that Umno Tenom can hold their meeting. We don't want to see a reduced number of delegates from Sabah to the general assembly in March," he said.

Rizalman reportedly said the division was still waiting for the outcome of its appeal against the decision of the Sabah Umno liaison committee to approve branch meetings that had already been nullified by the division. Rizalman was also quoted as saying the decision by the Sabah Umno liaison committee was "unfair" because he claimed they had proof the meetings held by the branches did not follow party regulations and ethics.

However, Musa said the State Umno liaison committee followed certain rules and regulations and if it found nothing was wrong, then it would take action accordingly to approve the meetings.
"We take action without fear or favour. If it is right, we make a decision, so we will scrutinise the issue to see what is the real problem before submitting a report to the party headquarters," he said.

On claims by Rizalman that he was not even called to attend the enquiry on the meetings of several Tenom division branches by the State Umno liaison committee last month, Musa believed that the process has its own law. "We hope everything will be settled. All the other divisions (in Sabah) managed to hold their meetings (despite some glitches) and there is no reason for them (Umno Tenom) not able to do so," he said.

A day before Hari Raya Aidilfitri, Rizalman had announced that there would be no contest for the posts of division chief, deputy chief and vice chief. However, the announcement shocked other division leaders who said they had received nominations to contest in the divisional election, including Kemabong Assemblyman Datuk Rubin Balang who was nominated for the division chief post.

Rizalman retorted that their candidacy was disqualified because the branches that nominated them had breached party regulations and ethics, hence the proceedings were ruled null and void.
The dissatisfied branch leaders, however, filed an objection with the Sabah Umno election management committee that was followed by an enquiry where all branch heads and secretaries as well as the disqualified were called the State party headquarters in Karamunsing last month.
Apart from Tenom, four other Umno divisions, two in Kelantan and one each in Perak and Seremban, have yet to hold their delegates' meetings.

http://www.dailyexpress.com.my/news.cfm?NewsID=60839

Datuk Rizalman Abdullah-Peraturan dan Perlembagaan Parti mesti dipertahankan

Dalam krisis Umno bahagian Tenom yang sedang bergolak ini, adalah lebih baik Ahli Majlis Tertinggi UMNO pusat turun padang untuk menyelesaikan masalah dalaman yang mengakibatkan sehingga kini Datuk Rizalman sukar untuk menerima keputusan yang telah dibuat oleh Jawatankuasa Perhubungan Umno Sabah ,yang mengiktirafkan mesyuarat peringkat cawangan yang dibatalkan diperingkat bahagian.

Rizalman dipetik berkata, keputusan Jawatankuasa Perhubungan Umno Sabah adalah "tidak adil" kerana beliau mendakwa mereka mempunyai bukti yang menunjukkan cawangan-cawangan tersebut gagal mematuhi peraturan dan kod etika parti semasa mengadakan mesyuarat masing-masing. Malah ketua-ketua cawangan yang dibatalkan dengan sendirinya telah mengaku dan menerima kesalahan mereka semasa ditemu-bual oleh Jawatankuasa Perhubungan Umno negeri, di Tenom baru-baru ini.

Jelas beliau, adalah menjadi suatu kewajaran selaku ahli UMNO dan Ketua Bahagian Umno, kerjasama dan keakuran keputusan dari Jawatankuasa Perhubungan seharusnya diterima dan abadikan berdasarkan perlembagaan parti UMNO yang kita cintai agar ianya akan lebih kukuh dan mantap. Apa tak lagi dalam senario politik dalam negara ini yang kian tidak stabil. Seharusnya pucuk pimpinan parti harus mencari suatu formula yang boleh mengukuhkan dan bukan mencari formula keretakan parti amnya kepada masyarakat warga ahli UMNO.

Sebaiknya, Bahagian dipandu agar mengutamakan peraturan, prosedur dan undang undang parti. Meneruskan Persidangan dengan membelakangkan peraturan dan prosedur serta undang-undang parti hanya akan mengeruhkan dan melemahkan parti dalam jangka panjang.