ABDULLAH: DIRECTIVES CANNOT BE ISSUED TO STOP UMNO MEMBERS FROM CONTEST

KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 1 (Bernama) -- United Malays National Organisation (Umno) president Abdullah Ahmad Badawi said Friday directives cannot be issued to prohibit Umno members from contesting any position in the party.

"Such directives cannot be issued. Members cannot be prohibited from
contesting," he told reporters after chairing a meeting of the party's supreme
council here.

Abdullah, who is the prime minister, was asked to comment on a report that
east coast state of Terengganu Infrastructure and Public Amenities Committee
chairman Yahya Khatib Mohamad, who was recently elected Marang Umno Division
head, would be asked to resign as a state executive councillor as he had ignored
the advice of Menteri Besar (Chief Minister) Ahmad Said not to stand against
incumbent Umno division heads in the party elections.Umno is the political party
leading the ruling Barisan Nasional coalition.

Ahmad Said, who is the chairman of the Terengganu Umno Liaison Committee,
had said that Yahya Khatib and two other state executive councillors would be
dropped when a reshuffle of the state executive council takes place in the
middle of next month.