PUTRAJAYA, Aug 29 — Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia’s annual general meeting (AGM) will be held next year, with party elections, beginning at the branch level, set to begin in January, chairman Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad said today.
He also announced that the party’s Elections Committee chairman Tan Sri Syed Hamid Albar has been appointed as the chairman of its election commission.
Dr Mahathir explained that voting at the branch level will take place from January 25, 2020 all the way up until March, with division polls set to take place on April 4 next year.
“The AGM and party elections will be held on June 20, 2020,” he said during a press conference after a central leadership meeting at the Perdana Leadership Foundation here.
He said only party members without any outstanding membership fees would be allowed to participate in the party polls.
“We will collect the fees for two years, because we did not collect it for last year, where each person is required to pay RM4.
“On top of that, every division needs to have 10 branches under them, who will pay the fees to their respective divisions,” he said.
Dr Mahathir also commented on rival party Umno, whom he said could be subjected to investigations by the relevant authorities into its legality and for several offences allegedly committed by the party.
“Because when I was last Prime Minister and Umno president the last time, three of the party branches did not have meetings and ultimately they were banned. Also before the General Elections, our party (PPBM) was banned.
“But I see as though Umno now, who have made many mistakes, are still accepted and their registration status not rejected.
“We are not urging for anyone (to take action) but only giving out opinion,” he said.
Dr Mahathir later denied he was unhappy with the lack of action by the Registrar of Societies against Umno, but was instead curious as to where their current funding was sourced from.
“According to The Edge they have acquired some RM2 billion, and whenever somebody buys their media, they make a lot of money.
“What are they doing with their money? We are just curious,” he said.
Previously, Umno’s status as a legal political party was in question after party polls were delayed twice since 2016, before Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi was voted in as president during party polls last year.
Dr Mahathir added that former Umno members who have since left the party and independents would be allowed to join PPBM, provided they are not subject to criminal charges in court.
