Rais says no thanks to nomination for presidency

Rais says no thanks to nomination for presidency

PUTRAJAYA: Thank you but let’s be realistic.

That is the response of Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Dr Rais Yatim to members of the Jitra Umno branch who had on Saturday proposed him for the post of the Umno president in the coming party elections.

“While I thank them for the proposal, the infrastructure in Umno is such that it is not possible to go beyond what the Jitra branch has done.

“We need nominations from 60 divisions and this is just one branch. Maybe this is just one step in the 1,000 steps ahead,” he told reporters after meeting with the new Commonwealth secretary-general Kamalesh Sharma at his office here yesterday.

The Jitra Umno members also proposed International Trade and Industry Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin for the post of deputy president.

Muhyiddin is a party vice-president while Rais is a supreme council member.

However, Rais has offered himself for the vice-presidency in the party elections.

On the Permatang Pauh by-election, Rais said Barisan Nasional must take all steps to ensure its victory and that it was “not a given” for PKR adviser Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim to win easily.

“People have said that Permatang Pauh will be an easy victory for Anwar but I think it is Barisan which will have an easy victory,” he said.

kzso - point taken. let's get more than 1000 branches to vote for other than ydp president pl. rais is the 1st umno leader who is confident enough to say umno can win easily. that's the character of a leader! if the leader is not confident, what and how do you think the grassroots/members are?