Malaysia Update

KUALA LUMPUR: The Umno su preme council has decided to leave the decision on whether to contest the Penanti by-election to its political bureau.

Party president Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak, who heads the bureau, however, declined to say when it would decide on the matter.

“We know when we are meeting. Do I have to tell you?” he told reporters after chairing his first supreme council meeting since the party elections on March 26.

The Penanti by-election has to be held following the resignation of its assemblyman Mohd Fairus Khairud din on April 16.

Barisan leaders have expressed support for Najib’s previous statement that the coalition might not field a candidate as it would “a sheer waste” of funds.

Najib said an elected representative should not resign for frivolous reasons after a year of being elected.

“The principle is that we must adhere to our aku janji (pledge) to the voters who elected us.

“We cannot use our position to resign when we have stood for election with the pledge to serve the people for a term,” he said.

Najib also announced the setting-up of a special committee to handle proposed amendments to the party constitution for tabling at a special assembly in October.

The proposed amendments were aimed at making the party’s election process more open, transparent and democratic, he said.

During the meeting, Najib ex plained the reasons for the abolition of the Entrepreneur and Cooperatives Development Ministry and the liberalisation of the 27 services sub-sectors.

On the liberalisation of the sub-sectors, Najib said it was done after two years of thorough study by the International Trade and Industry Ministry then headed by Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin.

“We found that it was good and acceptable to all parties, including the bumiputras involved in the sub-sectors.

“It is also in line with changes undertaken by Asean member countries. We were the last one to open up the services sector,” he added.