No-contest motion: seek the RoS if you are dissatisfied, says Ismail Sabri

14 Jan 2023 07:55pm

Umno vice-president Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob

KUALA LUMPUR - Any Umno members who are dissatisfied with the party's decision to not hold its presidential and deputy presidential polls in the coming party election can take their grievances to the Registrar of Societies (RoS).

This was the contention from vice-president Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob at a press conference held after the conclusion Umno's 2022 General Assemby which saw the passing of a motion preventing the top-two posts from being put to contest.

"There are two schools of thought.

"One of which is that the decision made in the General Assembly was valid as the proceeding is the highest venue for party decisions to be made as per Article 8(1) [of the party's constitution]

"But then again, there is also the view that the party's decision must be made in tandem with the party's constitution," Ismail Sabri explained citing Article 9(3) of the Umno constitution.

Article 9 (3) essentially states that the top leaderships posts must be put to contest every three years unless such polls had to be postponed.

"As such, any party members can go seek clarification from the RoS to check if the decision is indeed valid," said Ismail Sabri.

Party president Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi and deputy president Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan have managed to cement their grip on Umno after the no-contest supplementary motion was passed via voice vote today.

The duo won their respective seats in the 2018 party election which was done against the backdrop of Umno's maiden defeat at the 2018 national poll.

The supplementary motion however, was controversial as it was submitted at the eleventh-hour -- by party Negeri Sembilan delegate from the Rembau divison -- which contradicted the party's constitution and the assembly orders which stated that such motions must be filed in no less than 14 days.

Had there been a presidential poll, it would be the fifth one so as the party -- since its inception in 1946 -- only had such poll in 1951, 1978, 1987 and 2018.