PRESS RELEASE BY MUKHRIZ MAHATHIR

A Demand by UMNO Grassroots Members to Retain the Annual General Assembly as Previously Scheduled for December 2008 September 26 2008

Pak Lah is responsible for leading us into the disastrous 12th general elections which resulted in the lost of five states and the Federal Territory to the opposition coalition. Barisan Nasional lost its longstanding two-thirds majority and the overall popular vote nationally.

The poor electoral outcome shows how he has failed miserably in discharging his duties and responsibility to UMNO members and the Barisan Nasional. Since then, Pak Lah has lost any political legitimacy and the moral authority to lead UMNO and Barisan Nasional.

Furthermore, the postponement of the UMNO General Assembly demonstrates the fact that Pak Lah only seeks to preserve his political power but without wanting or being able to live up to the responsibilities and sacred duties that come with it. As such, he has long ceased to be our rightful leader and we therefore need not follow his self-preserving "instructions".

Pak Lah cannot tell us what to do or what not to do in exercising our rights as party members in the UMNO that truly belongs to the ordinary members and the Rakyat. So in this UMNO elections, for as long as we remain true to our party that was built by our founding fathers and adhere to the ideals, constitution and rules of UMNO-we are morally upright and cannot be accused of any wrongdoing in exercising our constitutional rights in choosing our leaders in a just and timely fashion in December of 2008.

We, the true defenders of UMNO must exercise our prerogative and constitutional right to elect whomever we so desire or see fit to the top posts of our party. Nothing in God's earth can stop us from performing our sacred responsibility and duty for the sake of the survival of our party, the future of our children and the integrity of our proud nation.

We vehemently reject the ill-advised decision to postpone the Annual General Assembly to March 2009. This decision is a blatant attempt to deny the grassroots members of UMNO their voice and aspirations to be heard and reflected in the ballot box solely in order to preserve those in control of our beloved party.

We therefore demand that in the best interest of the party and in recognition of the wishes of UMNO's brave but ignored grassroots members- the said Annual General Assembly be held as scheduled for December 2008!

Hidup UMNO!
Berani Berubah!
Mukhriz Mahathir