CHEAP TRICKS: NS MB takes fall for Najib - I'm the one who asked for Umno polls delay

SEREMBAN - Umno supreme council member Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan, who tabled a motion to defer the party polls, said he wanted to admit doing so to stop people from believing it was a ploy by president Datuk Seri Najib Razak.

He said there had been too many lies being circulated that Najib was the one who had sought the postponement.

“I tabled the motion during the supreme council meeting (last Friday) so that Umno can focus on the next general election,” he told reporters yesterday.

It had been reported that Umno has deferred its party polls next year by 18 months.

Umno, which conducts its party elections once in three years, last held its polls in October 2013.

Mohamad said there had been much “rubbish” being circulated since the postponement was announced, adding that the critics claimed that it was a tactic by Najib to strengthen his position.

“That is why I want to openly state that I was the one who tabled it and the motion received support from those present,” he said, adding that he was prepared to take full responsibility for it.

Mohamad said the manner the false allegations were being circulated showed there was a concerted effort to bring down the present leaders and the Government.

Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan

The party polls, he said, had to be deferred to allow members to focus on the general election which involved a lot of work, adding that Umno divisional secretaries last month had also raised this matter.

The last general election was held in May 2013 and the next one should be called by 2018.

Last Friday's decision would allow Umno to hold its party polls after the next general election.

Asked whether the lies were being spread by party members, Mohamad said it came from everywhere. - ANN