No setpol in winnable candidates

Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim with his shining example of overzealous political secretary, Faekah

With the UMNO General Assembly looks sure to give the mandate to determine Dato Seri Najib Tun Abdul Razak's selection of "winnable" candidates for the general election, the next question is what is Najib's criteria for "winnable candidate".

High on the wishlist of the public and general voters is for Najib to drop those widely perceived to be corrupt, have abused power, and have dangling moral issues, particularly the noted ones in his cabinet.

Publicly known personalities from the previous administration that have infamously become a liability to the party should be excluded too.

However, this posting is not repeating what have already been said many times.

In the debate by the Pemuda representative for Negeri Sembilan, Mohd. Helmy Din, at the Pemuda Convention, he cautioned of overzealous Political Secretaries to the Minister. The umno online report below:

01/12/2011

Setiausaha Politik jangan lebih 'sudu'

KUALA LUMPUR 30 Nov. - Pemimpin Pergerakan Pemuda UMNO yang dilantik sebagai Setiausaha Politik atau Pegawai Khas menteri wajar menjalankan tugas dengan penuh tanggungjawab dan bukannya bertindak seumpama lebih sudu daripada kuah.

Wakil Pemuda UMNO Negeri Sembilan, Mohd. Helmy Din berkata, saranan itu perlu diambil perhatian kerana jawatan tersebut merupakan pengiktirafan terhadap kemampuan kepimpinan di peringkat Pemuda.

Beliau berkata, walaupun dalam sistem pentadbiran negara, jawatan itu tidak terlalu tinggi namun ia hendaklah dipelihara dengan sebaik-baiknya.

Beliau berkata demikian ketika membahaskan ucapan dasar Ketua Pemuda UMNO sempena persidangan perwakilan sayap itu di Pusat Dagangan Dunia Putra (PWTC) di sini, hari ini.

Dalam perkembangan lain Mohd. Helmy berkata, pucuk pimpinan dan ahli di peringkat akar umbi tidak usah sangsi dengan kesetiaan pergerakan itu terhadap parti.

''Kami tidak rela menderhaka dan jika ada tersalah bahasa atau tersalah langkah hanyalah carik-carik bulu ayam yang akhirnya akan bercantum juga," katanya.

That cautioned raised an age old concern amongst UMNO members.

It is high time the mandated UMNO President exclude from the candidacy those political appointees working with Ministers as Political Secretary, Press Secretary, Principal Secretaries, Special Officers, etc.

Face it, time management for these officers to divide between their family life and work life is near impossible. Let alone to add time for their constituencies. Worse still, if they are holding positions in the party at Division level, they won't be able to dedicate their work with the Ministers.

Najib should seriously consider giving them an either or option of being a politician or working for politician.

Not only is time management a problem, most rampant amongst political secretaries are that they create a conflict of interest situation between their political ambition and the Minister's political role.

It could be these political secretaries neglecting the Minister's kawasan in favour of their kawasan. In some instances, budget meant for the Minister's kawasan is being diverted to his own kawasan.

Another problem arising is that many political secretaries are dirtied with the money game, without the knowledge, of the Ministers but it is the Ministers that seldom get the blame.

There are many more conflicts of interest to mentioned.

Those political secretaries should decide between their own political career and that of the Minister's political interest. Given the opportunity to contest, they should resign from their post.

What about those existing ones holding important division level post? It has to start somewhere.