Proposed no contest for Umno post doesn't mean party undemocratic - Shafie

The proposal for the party president and deputy president posts not be contested in the coming Umno elections this October does not mean the party is not democratic, says Umno vice-president Datuk Seri Mohd Shafie Apdal.

Instead, he said, it should be acceptable to all party members to avoid disunity at a time when Umno was going through a transformation process in which strong unity was vital.

Shafie, who is also Rural and Regional Development Minister, said this to reporters at his ministry's Aidilfitri open house at Wisma Felcra, here, today.

He said in the party's history when Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah challenged Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad for the Umno president post, the party was in turmoil and it was banned.

"We had also seen in some other component parties where the tussle for the top posts had weakened the parties," he said.

On the three Umno vice-president posts, Shafie welcomed any party member to contest a post.

"The only important thing is to ensure that party unity prevails. While contesting, we should not cause disunity and to offer ourselves for the post for the purpose of strengthening the party," he said.