'I don't think the party will split' - Tengku Razaleigh

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Tengku Razaleigh when met by the media after Umno general assembly
KUALA LUMPUR - Umno veteran Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah refuted claims of a possible party conflict if the president and deputy president posts were contested in the 2022 Umno general assembly.

The party elections that were conducted before were way more competitive as they involved division chiefs and the grassroots, he added.

"This is not the general assembly's decision. It is an advise to ensure the party doesn't divide.

"I don't think the party will break. Our fight is normal between division chiefs," he told the media after the assembly at the Kuala Lumpur World Trade Center (WTCKL) here today.

Earlier, the assembly also approved an additional motion to not hold its presidential and deputy presidential polls.

According to Umno's head of information Isham Jalil, the additional motion was approved after receiving support from participating delegates.

On whether the decision was democratic, Tengku Razaleigh replied; "The party has always practised democracy."

"There is democracy, but it is being controlled," he added.

The decision of whether or not to contest the party's top two posts became the focal point of the assembly, where an additional motion was passed that it should not be contested.

Zahid had won the president's post for the 2018–2021 period in the 2018 Umno election.

He defeated his challengers, including Khairy and former Gua Musang parliament member Tengku Razaleigh.

Ahmad Zahid obtained 93 votes, Khairy had 51 votes, and Tengku Razaleigh had 23 votes.

Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan, who is the former Negeri Sembilan Menteri Besar won with 75 votes, defeating former Umno information chief Tan Sri Annuar Musa for the deputy president position.