Election for PM post?

The resignation of Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak as prime minister will not save Umno or "solve the problem," said Umno veteran Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah aka Ku Li.

The former finance minister who once tried to 'oust' Dr Mahathir Mohamad as Umno president in 1986, said previous prime ministers - Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad and Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi - had also resigned from their posts but that "did not solve anything."

He asked if Najib's resignation would solve the problems of the party and nation, pointing out that Dr Mahathir stepped down too and "it didn't solve the problem."

He said Abdullah, who took over from Dr Mahathir, was later seen as "problematic" and was forced to step down.

"There are more problems now," Ku Li told a press conference at the launch of non-governmental organisation Harmony Malaysia in Petaling Jaya.
He said the problem lies with Umno, as the Malay-based party was weighed down with issues. He said Umno could no longer attract the young to join them.

Dr Mahathir recently called for Najib to resign over the handling of debt-ridden government investment arm 1Malaysia Development Bhd.

Ku Li also called the direct election of the prime minister saying the current system of governance of the Wesminster system was ineffective.

He said the Westminster system, which may have worked earlier, could no longer work as Malaysians now were different.

"I think we have to relook and see whether we should have an elected prime minister, rather than someone who is pushed up by a party, and let people participate in the democracy," he said.
He said Malaysians have squandered funds under the current political system, thus imposing the goods and services tax (GST) on everyone.

The current system, he said, favoured the well-connected and although it has proved effective elsewhere, it inhibits efficiency and effectiveness in Malaysia.

"We have become very lazy,” he said.

Lazy? I think so...but will Ku Li stand for a 'PM election' if the system is agreed by all?