UMNO has passed a resolution to postpone the party’s election six months after the 15th general glection (GE15), party deputy president Mohamad Hasan said.

He announced this at the winding up of the Umno general assembly this afternoon.

“The party election will be postponed to six months after the general election,” Hasan said of the party polls which were to be held before December this year.

The term of the current leadership expires then, and the election would be for 2021/2023 office-bearers.

Hasan said Umno will inform the Registrar of Societies (ROS) on the matter. The ROS is under the purview of the home ministry, which is headed by Hamzah Zainuddin, a former Umno man but now with Bersatu.

Mohamad said Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob must ensure that there are no obstacles from the RoS regarding the party’s decision to postpone its elections.

“If this can be approved, then whatever discontent from Umno people will end.

“I ask the prime minister to give this some attention, to ensure that that no one blocks our letter to the RoS, because the (Home) minister is not from Umno and could make things difficult for us later.”

A date has yet to be set for the 15th general election which must be July 2023 when the term of the current Parliament expires, but Ismail Sabri has been under pressure from his party Umno to dissolve parliament and hold snap polls.

This follows BN’s supermajority wins in the recent Malacca and Johor elections, which the coalition feels has given it the momentum to reclaim Putrajaya.

Early polls are seen as a way for Umno leaders facing corruption trials to have themselves freed should the BN coalition retake the federal government. – March 19, 2022.