Shahrir: I’m too old for top Umno posts

Source TheStar

JOHOR BARU: Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs Minister Datuk Shahrir Samad said that it was too late for him to contest for the top posts in Umno, citing his age.

Shahrir, 58, however said that he would still offer himself for a post in the Supreme Council, a position he has held since 1999.

“I feel that it is too late for me to go for the top posts at my age. I can still offer myself for the lower posts,” he said, adding that he believed position was immaterial as it was still possible to serve the community while holding a “lower post.”

Shahrir, who is the Johor Baru Member of Parliament, said that at times it was better to be a division chief because then one kept close to the grassroots and could better understand their problems.

Umno was at a crossroads now and it was important for a “generational change” to ensure continued support for the party, he said at a press conference after hosting a Hari Raya open house at the Dewan Kampung Melayu Majidee here.

He said that Umno had too long been viewed as a bureaucratic party which placed emphasis on seniority and hierarchy.

“Some say that the problem with Umno is that it is seen as a party that is led by the older members,” he said adding that it was important for political parties to be constantly injected with new blood.