Tata Etika #PemilihanUMNO OUTDATED! @NajibRazak @KhairyKJ

Sistem Pemilihan UMNO selepas Pindaan Perlembagaan sebenarnya tidak memberi kelebihan kepada muka-muka baru. Dengan jumlah perwakilan yang melebihi 150,000 orang, tempoh kempen yang pendek berbanding pemilihan yang lepas dan Tata Etika Ahli UMNO yang terlalu ketat dan lapuk (`outdated'), kelebihan memihak kepada pemegang jawatan terutamanya para Menteri, Timbalan Menteri, Menteri Besar, pemimpin-pemimpin UMNO Pusat dan negeri, termasuk Ahli-ahli Parlimen. Sesi pengenalan calon yang singkat anjuran Jawatan Kuasa Pemilihan UMNO dan Badan Perhubungan Negeri-negeri pula tidak mungkin memadai untuk memperihalkan kehebatan dan potensi calon-calon muka baru.

Biarpun Tata Etika Ahli UMNO bertujuan baik, iaitu untuk menghalang kempen saat akhir secara tidak sihat, termasuk politik wang oleh calon-calon `parachute', calon pemalas atau yang tidak berkhidmat secara konsisten, namun kesan buruknya adalah ia menyebabkan kemahiran berkempen para calon tidak dapat diperkembangkan. Jika diikuti 100%, boleh dikatakan calon hampir tidak dibenarkan berkempen sama sekali. Mungkin ini salah satu sebab kenapa ada di kalangan pemegang jawatan yang tidak mampu berucap dengan baik dan tidak berkemahiran mengendalikan kempen secara berkesan. 

Malangnya, untuk berhadapan dengan pembangkang, kemahiran berkempen amat diperlukan. Dalam tempoh 10 ke 14 hari Pilihan Raya Kecil dan Pilihan Raya Umum misalnya, tentunya kebolehan berkempen pemimpin UMNO diuji bagi mendapatkan kemenangan. Namun, jika dalam pemilihan parti, dengan berpandukan Tata Etika Ahli UMNO yang agak lapuk, tidak mungkin pemimpin UMNO benar-benar dapat diuji untuk mengendalikan kempen dan mengasah daya penarik sebagai calon. Maka tidak mungkin UMNO akan mendapat pemimpin mampu berkempen dengan berkesan untuk BN.

Khabarnya, ada `peraturan baru' yang menghalang nombor calon dari dicetak dan dipamerkan. Kalau begitulah keadaannya, malanglah para calon, dan lebih malang lagi para perwakilan yang tidak mungkin boleh mengenali wajah dan mengingati nama 64 orang calon Majlis Tertinggi, 77 orang calon exco Pemuda, 44 orang calon exco Wanita dan 30 orang calon Exco Puteri.

Umno polls: Contenders want greater flexibility to woo voters

REPORTS BY RAZAK AHMAD, MAZWIN NIK ANIS, ONG HAN SIAN, KATHLEEN ANN KILI AND NIK NAIZI HUSIN

http://www.thestar.com.my/News/Nation/2013/09/23/Give-us-room-to-campaign-Umno-contenders-want-greater-flexibility-to-woo-voters.aspx

PETALING JAYA: Umno election candidates want more leeway to campaign and woo voters without breaching a strict code of ethics, but the party disciplinary board has warned that it will not tolerate any breach of the regulations.

The Umno Members Code of Ethics (Tataetika Ahli Umno) drawn up in 2008 places strict controls on any form of campaigning that can lead to vote-buying.

The code, among others, forbids candidates from organising gatherings to canvas for votes in a bid to stem money politics that has plagued the party (see graphic).

The candidates however argued that they need greater flexibility to campaign as the number of voting delegates has increased from 2,500 to 146,000 under the new election system that is in place.

“The code of ethics is outdated and must either be amended or thrown out,” said Lokman Noor Adam, a candidate for the Umno Youth deputy chief’s position.

He said instead of barring candidates from sponsoring gatherings or bearing the travel expenses of delegates, the party should allow candidates to set up a joint pool of funds to finance events with voters.

Supreme council candidate Datuk Rahman Dahlan suggested that the party give candidates some flexibility.

“We have many good leaders who are unknown and they need to reach out to the grassroots. The election is an opportunity for the party to ‘give birth’ to potential leaders, so let us not waste this opportunity,” said Rahman, who is also Minister of Urban Wellbeing, Housing and Local Government.

Umno disciplinary board special committee acting chairman Tan Sri Megat Najmuddin Megat Khas – when asked about the matter said:

“They must abide by the rules, otherwise we will ‘slam’ them, (It’s as) simple as that.”

He warned that the code was still in force as it reflected the party’s stand against abuse of power and position and also on money politics.

Megat Najmuddin said candidates should not worry about reaching out to the grassroots as state Umno liaison committees would organise get-to-know-you sessions for candidates.

Another supreme council candidate, Tun Faisal Ismail Aziz, said that in order not to flout the regulations, many candidates would only attend official state or national-level events in the hope that there would be many party members in attendance.

“If you read the code carefully, you can come to the conclusion that you are not allowed to campaign because it is so strict,” said Tun Faisal, a former Umno Youth exco member.

Umno Supreme council member Datuk Saifuddin Abdullah, who is defending his position, said he supported the code of ethics as it was designed to stop money politics.

“The code appears to forbid almost any form of campaigning, but the party may have get-to-know sessions for candidates in each state to address our concerns,” he said.