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KUALA LUMPUR: In Malaysia, all eyes are on the four-day annual congress of the ruling United Malays National Organisation (UMNO), which started on Tuesday.
Prime Minister Najib Razak is expected to push through several amendments to the party's constitution with the aim of ridding money politics and rejuvenating the party.
This will be the first AGM chaired by Prime Minister Najib Razak since he took over as UMNO president six and half months ago.
On the top of his agenda, on Thursday, will be to seek amendments to the party constitution – in order to broaden the voting base and remove the minimum nomination quota to contest for top posts. The changes are meant to rid the party of corruption and widespread abuses.
There is optimism in the air ahead of the AGM as a result of UMNO's win in the Bagan Pinang by-election on Sunday.
"After Bagan Pinang, the morale is quite high," said Isa Samad, former chief minister, Negeri Sembilan. But some party leaders cautioned that it may be too early to celebrate.
"There is a fear that we will start getting complacent. It is a good sign hopefully that this is the beginning. I think it's critical for us to rid ourselves of the scurge and be seen to be serious in cleansing the party," said Malaysian Deputy Trade Minister Mukhriz Mahathir.
However, with the next general election due to be held by 2013, time is not on their side.
"UMNO cannot reform itself to find a new ideological selling point such as to move and seriously embrace multi-culturalism, meritocracy and reform itself. It has three years' time and if they refuse to do all these things, this will come back to haunt them," said Wong Chin Huat, a political analyst.
Malaysians will be listening in to Prime Minister Najib's opening remarks at the UMNO AGM on Thursday - on how far he is prepared to clean up the party and move it forward without alienating the power base within the party.
- CNA/sc
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