KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 14 — Umno members should respect delegates’ decision today to have no contests for the party’s top two positions, said Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi.
Zahid said the delegates and party’s permanent chairman Tan Sri Badruddin Amiruldin had conducted the matter according to the the party’s constitution and rules of the Umno general assembly.
“The general assembly is the highest body in Umno and it is written in the constitution itself.
“So, the recent decision is the ultimate decision as I have said in statements that both of us (president and deputy) have entrusted to the delegates.
“I am confident that the matter was referred to the Umno legal advisor, who is also the Umno disciplinary board chairman, who, as a legal practitioner, knows well the order of the meeting and other rules and regulations provided by the constitution,” he told reporters after the conclusion of 2022 Umno assembly at the World Trade Centre here.
Zahid also rejected allegations of irregularity in the voting, saying the delegates as representatives of Umno grassroots has made a decision for party’s unity.
“They are the grassroots who want the unity and unification of the party to be prioritised,” he said.
Zahid also announced that the disciplinary board will look into the allegations from former Youth chief Khairy Jamaluddin about “imported delegates” who went inside Dewan Merdeka in order to support the motion.
Umno delegates today voted through the motion for the party’s presidency and deputy presidency to be uncontested during the internal election that must be held before May 19.
Yesterday, Negeri Sembilan delegeate Mohd Shukri Samsudin submitted an additional motion calling for party leaders not to contest the posts of president and deputy president at its upcoming party election.
Earlier today, Khairy took to TikTok to claim that stealthy manoeuvres have been put in place to prevent Umno president Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi and his deputy Datuk Seri Mohamad Hassan from facing competitors over their positions.
In the four-minute video, Khairy said that he suspected the voting session on the additional motion for the top leadership posts to remain status quo will be passed.
He also asserted that name tags had been removed from delegate’s seats in the hall where the voting will take place, ostensibly to facilitate the entry of import delegates into the hall and vote in support of the motion.
It was denied by Umno information chief Isham Jalil and other party leaders.
