16 Umno members mount legal challenge against party

KUALA LUMPUR: Sixteen Umno members have challenged the party's legal status in court for failing to hold party elections in the last five years.
The members who filed the application at the High Court earlier today, are from various branches in Kuala Lumpur, Perlis, Negri Sembilan, Johor, Pahang and Malacca.
In their application, the applicants have stated that it is a violation of the party constitution for not conducting elections at the division and central level.
They have named the Registrar of Societies (RoS) as the first respondent and Datuk Ab Rauf Yusoh, in his capacity as Umno's public officer, as the second respondent.
They are seeking a court order to nullify the decision by RoS to grant the party an extension of time to postpone its election to October next year.
The applicants stated in the application that they had on March 2, wrote to RoS requesting for an explanation, investigation and action in relation to the postponement of the party election.
On March 5, The RoS confirmed the approval of the extension application to hold the 2017 Umno Supreme Council election.
The RoS had said that this was in line with Clause 10.17 of Umno's constitution, which allows the postponement of the election at the supreme council, division and branch levels, to not more than 18 months from the date it should have been held.
It was reported that Umno had set the party election to be held on April 19, 2019.