Umno leaders who remain too long in their positions will leave behind members who are more stupid than them, said Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad, in yet another call for the party to accept new blood.
The former Umno president said leaders at grassroots level only allowed members more stupid than them to join the party.
"They select such people in order to remain much longer as leaders," he said in reply to a question from a participant at a youth forum in Kuala Lumpur today.
"They select such people in order to remain much longer as leaders," he said in reply to a question from a participant at a youth forum in Kuala Lumpur today.
Dr Mahathir warned that the party's leadership would become weak, leading to the people's rejection.
Umno will head to polls next month. Dr Mahathir's son, Datuk Mukhriz Mahathir, 48, is among six candidates vying for the three posts of vice-president.
He said the “culture of chopping off” young talents was prevalent at the branch level and existing leaders only recruited “stupider” members.
Dr Mahathir said the Malay party was now lacking talented leaders because many of its divisional and branch heads feared losing their positions to younger and capable leaders.
“The division and branch chiefs don’t like intelligent people to come into the party because they fear they might lose their positions.
“So what they do is recruit people who are more stupid than them. And when this leader dies, this someone who is more stupid than them, will take over. And when this one also dies?
"Now we have a party with three generations of such leaders. It is now a stupider party,” added the former prime minister.
Dr Mahathir pointed out that Umno will eventually become weak because the talented ones are not given the opportunity to serve and display their leadership.
"The people will finally reject the party because we have stupid leaders," he added.
Dr Mahathir said winning and losing in party election was normal but leaders must know when to make their exit.
"I always subscribe to the advice of my mother who once told me that one must not overstay their welcome," he said.
Dr Mahathir said he had expected more people to contest for the vice-presidents' posts.
"If there was no contest, people will ask where is the transformation," he said, adding that the six-cornered fight for the three vice-president slots was a healthy sign.
Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, Datuk Shafie Apdal and Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein are the incumbent vice-presidents. The challengers are Tan Sri Mohd Isa Abdul Samad, Datuk Seri Ali Rustam and Mukhriz, who is also Kedah Menteri Besar.
Dr Mathathir said he fully supported that there be no contest for the top two party positions.
He said when he was challenged for the post in 1987 by Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah, a group of people went to court to seek remedy.
"Later a splinter party (Semangat 46) was formed," he said.
He urged the 150,000 delegates to use their votes wisely and pick leaders with character and who are capable. - September 25, 2013.
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