KOTA KINABALU:
Tourism, Culture and Environment Minister Datuk Masidi Manjun is ready to consider contesting for an Umno Supreme Council post if there is nomination. Masidi said this after receiving calls from friends from Sabah and Peninsular Malaysia asking whether he would contest in the Party election next March. “I told them if there is nomination, I will consider,” he said when met at the media launchof the 8th Borneo Rugby lOs and 1st Women Rugby 7s here yesterday. Masidi, who is also the Ranau Umno Division Chief, however said that as an Umno member, his priority is to strengthen Umno and not to get a top post in the Party. “As a loyal member, it will not matter to me whether or not I hold a post because our effort is to strengthen the Party and to restore Umno to a level valued by other parties,” he added. So far, two Umno leaders from Sabah, namely Chief Minister Datuk Seri Musa Haji Aman and Deputy Transport Minister Datuk Seri Panglima Lajim Haji Ukim, have confirmed contesting for Umno Supreme Council posts. Current Umno Supreme Council Member Datuk Seri Shafie Apdal, who is also the Minister of Unity, Culture, Arts and Heritage, decided to contest for the Umno Vice President post. Musa has received a proposal to contest for the Umno Vice Presidency but he rejected as he wanted to defend his Umno Supreme Council position. The Penampang Umno Division had three days ago requested Musa to re-consider his decision not to contest for the Umno Vice Presidency. Its Division Chief, Datuk John Ambrose Dumpanggol, repeated the proposal for Musa to contest stating there are incumbents for the post having opted to contest for the Umno Deputy President’s post. John said it is not wrong should there be two candidates from Sabah vying for the Umno Vice President’s post, because this happened in other States, including Johor who had previously nominated four candidates for the post.
