No need to discuss transition

The Star, Wednesday September 17, 2008

IPOH: There is no necessity for divisions to meet to discuss the transition of power in Umno, said supreme council member Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi.

“This is because all parties had agreed (to the timeline) and we should respect what had been decided before, he said yesterday when responding to news reports on a meeting between party president Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi and his deputy Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak over the issue.

Zahid, who is also Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department, said the meeting between the two leaders was to re-emphasise the 2010 agreement for the transition of power from Abdullah to Najib.

Zahid said Abdullah met Umno division leaders early this year and it had been agreed that the transition would be in 2010.

The Prime Minister had also raised the matter at the supreme council, with Barisan Nasional leaders and with the Cabinet, and they agreed to it, added Zahid.

Describing Abdullah as better than previous leaders, Zahid said other national leaders had never referred the question of power transition to the grassroots.

“Why is it that he (Abdullah) is seen as not obtaining the feedback of the grassroots (on the power transition issue)?” asked Zahid.