CLEANING UP HAMIDAH’S MESS: A YEAR AFTER BERSATU’S ‘INTERNAL CRISIS’ – 8 PERAK DIVISIONS UNABLE TO SEND DELEGATES TO PARTY ASSEMBLY

EIGHT Bersatu divisions in Perak failed to qualify as delegates for the party’s second annual general assembly and would attend the event as observers, party secretary-general Marzuki Yahya said.

Marzuki said the problems were a spillover from last year’s crisis triggered by the departure of one of Bersatu’s founders, Hamidah Osman, who left the party months before the May 9 general election.

Some divisions had failed to hold their required meetings on time, and some had only just registered, he said.

“This all started when Hamidah left the party. There were divisions that were closed down, too. But because there was a general election, we remained focused,” he said.

“But the leadership was incomplete so they could not hold meetings. The committee was not complete so it did not fulfil the requirements for an assembly,” Marzuki told The Malaysian Insight.

Hamidah was the party vice-president and Gopeng division head. He resigned on September 16, 2017, a year after Bersatu was formed.

Many Perak Bersatu members had followed suit.

Representatives of the eight divisions, including Bagan Serai, Larut, Tapah and Gopeng, will still be attending the assembly, which starts today, but as special observers.

Marzuki said 20 divisions nationwide did not qualify as delegates.

“Bersatu has 165 divisions, but only 145 divisions qualified to attend the assembly as delegates.

“The rest will be observers because some of the divisions have just had their registrations approved,” he told The Malaysian Insight.

Bersatu’s constitution states that each division is required to hold a meeting once a year, which is to be held no less than 60 days before the date of the party’s general assembly.

Most of the divisions are less than a year old and some are so new they are yet to be registered.

The three-day general assembly, which commences today with the meeting of the wings, is held at the Putrajaya International Convention Centre. About 3,000 delegates are expected to attend.

– https://www.themalaysianinsight.com