KOTA KINABALU – Umno did receive a letter from the Home Ministry approving Umno’s no-contest motion for the president and deputy president posts, party president Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi insisted.
He said tonight that Umno secretary-general Datuk Seri Ahmad Maslan received the letter, in response to claims today that the Registrar of Societies (RoS) had originally ruled the no-contest decision invalid until it was overridden by Home Minister Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution.
“I would like to confirm that the secretary-general received a letter from the Home Ministry on the validity of the no contest motions for the party positions of president and deputy president.
“When a motion is brought to the general assembly, it is the highest body in Umno, so when the motion was brought by the party’s permanent chairman, it is in accordance with the party constitution,” Zahid told reporters here tonight introducing Sabah Umno candidates for the party’s ongoing elections.
Saifuddin said earlier today in a statement that ministerial discretion was used to accept the no-contest resolution and grant an exemption to Umno from deregistration. The RoS is under his ministry’s purview.
This was then questioned by PAS secretary-general Datuk Seri Takiyuddin Hassan, who said it meant that the RoS letter must have found the no-contest decision to be invalid.
Sacked Umno leader Khairy Jamaluddin tonight also said the no-contest resolution had clearly violated the party’s constitution, which states that the president and deputy president must be elected every three years.
Zahid, when asked tonight about the RoS letter stating the invalidity of the no-contest decision, replied: “I don’t know anything about that letter.” – The Vibes, March 7, 2023
