Umno facing 'caretaker' leadership poser

 

As the deadline draws nearer for the Registrar of Societies (ROS) to decide on Umno's constitutional amendment, a Bersatu man has questioned the legitimacy of the Umno leadership to pursue the amendment.

Johor Bersatu election director Badrul Hisham Shahrin said Umno already had a "caretaker" leadership when an emergency general meeting was held to amend the party constitution.

The amendments would allow the party leadership to delay Umno’s internal polls until a general election is held.

Umno's circumstances, argued Badrul, were unlike MCA's which sought similar constitutional amendments three years ago.

"In 2019, the MCA leadership was still serving their (2018-2021) term, unlike Umno now whose leadership term expired on June 30 last year.

"Umno's leadership is only a caretaker one. According to Clause 9.3 of Umno's constitution, the Umno supreme council must be chosen every three years," Badrul wrote on Facebook.

Johor Bersatu election director Badrul Hisham Shahrin

July 16 deadline

Prior to June 30 last year, the Umno supreme council exercised a clause in their constitution to delay the internal election by 18 months (until December this year).

However, on May 15, party delegates voted unanimously to approve amendments to the constitution that would allow the leadership to delay its internal polls until after a general election is held.

The ROS was informed of the decision the next day and has until July 16 to respond.

Last August, then ROS director-general Jasri Kasim described the present Umno leadership as a "caretaker" who could only perform administrative tasks, and policy matters had to be decided through a national delegates meeting.

All eyes will now fall on the present ROS director-general Mohd Nawardi Saad's decision as the deadline draws near.

Umno secretary-general Ahmad Maslan

Umno secretary-general Ahmad Maslan, however, disputed suggestions that the present leadership was a "caretaker".

Ahmad said the ROS had in correspondence on Aug 30 last year approved Umno's decision to postpone its polls by 18 months.

This, he said, meant that the present leadership's tenure had been extended until Dec 29 this year and was free to make policy decisions. - Mkini