2011 Umno general assembly Dec 1-3

The 2011 Umno General Assembly will be held from Nov 29 to Dec 3, Umno President Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak announced Friday.

The dates were decided at a meeting of the Umno Supreme Council Friday, he added.

Najib, who is the prime minister, also said that in conjunction with the assembly, an international forum would be held.

He said a pre-council meeting would be held on Nov 29, along with the assemblies of Wanita Umno and Umno Youth.

"The Umno General Assembly proper will be held from Dec 1 to 3," he told reporters after chairing the supreme council meeting at Menara Dato' Onn, here.

Najib also said that the supreme council decided to withdraw the suspension of six Umno members, namely (from the Rantau Panjang Division) Datuk Mohd Zain Ismail (former divisional chairman); Ghazali Ismail (former divisional deputy chairman), Fauziah Che Wok (former divisional Wanita Umno head) and Fauzi Omar (former divisional Umno Youth head) who were suspended for three years in September 2008; Rosli Hasan of Bukit Katil Division in Melaka who was suspended for three years from March 2009 and Amran Mat of Kuala Krai Division in Kedah who was suspended for a year from March 2009.

Asked whether the colour red would be the symbol of Umno's struggle for the next general election in view of the use of that colour for the campaign strategy of several states, Najib said it was left to the states to decide as red was the Umno colour.

"We choose suitable colours. Kelantan and Kedah have chosen red; Terengganu has picked blue. Red is a fiery colour and can lift the spirit of the Umno members and supporters," he said.

Asked about the strategy of the opposition parties to undertake aggressive political campaigning during the Ramadan fasting month while Najib would be undergoing a knee surgery and slowing down on his walkabouts to the states, the prime minister said Umno would focus on religious programmes during the fasting month.

-- BERNAMA