KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 12 — There is no proposal to amend UMNO’s constitution so that the president and deputy president posts would not be contested, said UMNO information chief Isham Jalil.
Isham said even though 140 UMNO division heads nationwide stated their stand that the president post now held by Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi is not contested in the coming UMNO election in the middle of this year, it does not mean the party is preventing anybody from contesting.
“If 140 of the 189 (division heads) which have exceeded two-thirds of the UMNO division heads, propose the two posts are not challenged, do I need to clarify further on the matter?
“I have spoken to Datuk Seri Ahmad Maslan who had made many statements that we have no plans to amend the constitution for no contest of the two posts,” he told a media conference after visiting the media centre for UMNO 2022 general assembly here today.
There are 191 UMNO divisions nationwide except in Sarawak while two divisions, Arau and Tanah Merah have been suspended.
Yesterday Wangsa Maju UMNO division chief Datuk Seri Dr Mohd Shafie Abdullah in representing the group said the heads of the division also agreed that the position of deputy president was also not contested.
Mohd Shafie said the party should now focus on strengthening UMNO at various levels to face six state elections that will be held this year.
Meanwhile, Isham suggested that members who want to run for the highest office, including the vice president, should announce their intentions early.
“So whoever wants to run for the position of president, deputy president should announce as early as possible, this is my suggestion.
“There is no need to hide as this is the platform of the UMNO general assembly and all the representatives are here, so for me to announce who wants to run for the position of president, deputy president, the earlier the better, for me,” he said.
