UMNO’s new leadership will have a maximum of five years to stay in office after the party constitution is amended, said Ahmad Zahid Hamidi.

“The party election will be held after the general election and a new team will be picked.

“The new team will have a maximum of five years to focus their energy on the country and the stability in the party can be preserved for future elections,” said the Umno president at the party’s emergency general meeting (EGM) in World Trade Centre today.

Zahid was speaking to 2,586 Umno delegates ahead of the vote to amend the party constitution to allow the party to hold polls after a general election.

Today’s EGM is being held to amend the party’s constitution to allow the party to postpone party polls after a general election.

Umno is overdue to hold party elections after the last elections in 2018 saw Zahid elected as party president.

But while the incumbent Zahid will have the advantage in party elections as the sitting president, he is expected to face pressure from the Umno faction backing prime minister and vice president Ismail Sabri Yaakob.

By delaying the party polls till after the general election, Zahid will have the final say on who gets to contest under the Barisan Nasional banner as he is also the BN chairman.

According to Zahid, this is the fourth time the party constitution is being amended since 1987 on the subject of party elections.

“In 1987, the constitution was amended to give 10 bonus votes for each nomination for the president and deputy president.

“This did not guarantee political stability and in 1998 the constitution was amended again to introduce a quota for the top positions in the supreme council.

“In 2009, the constitution was yet again amended to expand the voter base from 2,510 delegates to 146,500 members at the division levels,” said Zahid. – May 15, 2022.