THE contest for the posts of president and deputy president in UMNO was not among the issues that were brought up at its Supreme Council meeting last night, clarified party information chief Isham Jalil.
“This will be the first meeting after the 15th general election, so the discussion revolved around [the general assembly],” he was quoted as saying by FMT when quizzed about whether the Supreme Council had discussed if the presidency and deputy presidency should be contested at the party polls.
On Dec 26 UMNO secretary-general Datuk Seri Ahmad Maslan said that no decision has been made yet on the matter, adding that the party’s Supreme Working Council (MKT) had yet to decide on the matter.
The Pontian MP also said the matter could be decided at the Special MKT meeting on the night of Jan 12, which is traditionally held before the UMNO general assembly.
Yesterday, UMNO president Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said he is open to being challenged by anyone who aspires to hold the party’s number one position in the upcoming party elections.
Zahid, who is also the Deputy Prime Minister and Rural and Regional Development Minister, said this was to give an opportunity to about 160,000 delegates to choose the party’s leadership especially for the party’s top two positions.
He further noted that it was up to UMNO representatives to make their own choices as well as to determine the direction of the party to ensure that UMNO remains relevant on the political stage.
UMNO’s four-day annual general assembly comes almost two months following what was called the party’s worst performance in a general election, winning only 26 seats in the 15th general election. – Jan 6, 2023
Main pic credit: Bernama
