Ku Li confirms he’ll stand for Umno presidency

Ku Li said Umno would uphold Malay rights while looking after the interests of other communities.  

(FMT) – Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah has announced his candidacy for the Umno president’s post, setting up a showdown between himself and the party’s acting president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi. 

He announced this at a press conference at his Langgak Golf residence here today.

“I am making this decision in the interest of Umno. I want to make sure Umno can play its role as an opposition. As an Umno leader I will still look after our grassroots,” he said.

He added that Umno would uphold Malay rights while looking after the interests of other communities.  

There has been a growing expectation that Tengku Razaleigh, more fondly known as Ku Li, would enter the race for the party leadership in the wake of the resignation of Najib Razak after the party’s defeat at the general election.

Presently, only former deputy prime minister Zahid has announced his intention to go for the president’s post.

Nominations for the party elections close tomorrow, with voting taking place on June 30. The elections are the first in almost three years after the party successfuly obtained extensions of its election deadline.

Supreme Council member Mohamad Hasan, former menteri besar of Negeri Sembilan and Umno Information chief Annuar Musa have announced their intention to contest to be deputy president.

Vice-president Hishammuddin Hussein has announced he would not contest any post, sharing the responsibility for the party’s defeat with his cousin, former president Najib Razak. The two men are grandsons of Umno’s founding president Onn Jaafar.