Umno gets approval to amend constitution to delay party polls

Malaysia’s Registrar of Societies (ROS) has approved Umno’s application to amend its constitution to allow for the postponement of its party polls.

Umno secretary general Datuk Seri Ahmad Maslan said according to ROS, the party polls must be held not later than six months after the next general election, The next national polls must be held by September next year.

“It is with pleasure (we) announce that ROS has approved the application related to Umno’s constitution with a slight amendment,” he said in a statement on Friday (July 29.

Umno on May 17 wrote to the registrar to allow it to postpone its leadership polls until six months after the general election.

This came about after the Umno general assembly held in March agreed to postpone the polls so that the party could focus on the next national polls, the 15th General Election.

Umno had postponed its party election for 18 months after the 2018/2021 term ended on June 30 last year, which meant the polls for 2021/2023 term must be held before Dec 30 this year.

Malaysia’s Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob had said that Umno was hoping to hear from ROS by July 16, which was within 60 days of the party submitting the proposal for the amendments.

Several Umno leaders had accused Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia (PPBM) of using ROS as a tool for its political vendetta against Umno. Home Minister Hamzah Zainudin, who is in charge of the ROS, is from PPBM.

SOURCE: NEWS AGENCIES