KUALA LUMPUR: Umno elected representatives found to be disloyal or jumping to join other parties shortly after winning the election at the Parliamentary or State Assembly level will have their party membership dropped immediately.
The expulsion was contained in the Umno Constitutional Amendments, and the move was also applicable on members contesting as Independent candidates or the Opposition party in the election.
It was among the 12 amendment bills tabled by the Chairman of the Umno Constitutional and Regulations Committee, Datuk Seri Mohamed Khaled Nordin, in a closed session and unanimously approved by the delegates at the 2019 Umno General Assembly at the Dewan Merdeka, Putra World Trade Centre (PWTC), yesterday.
“Anyone winning the contest but leaves the party in the Parliamentary or State Assembly election will have his membership automatically withdrawn,” according to an amended appendix uploaded in the online Umno website today.
Previously, the clause concerned only mentioned that any member contesting as an Independent candidate or opposition party in the general election will be expelled and can never be accepted back as a member permanently.
In addition, the constitutional amendment also touched on the Umno Wanita Movement which was changed to Wanita Umno, the Wanita Umno Movement head would be known as Wanita Umno Malaysia Head, the Head of the Youth Movement would would be known as Umno Malaysia Youth Movement Head and Head of the Puteri Movement would be known as Head of the Puteri Umno Malaysia.
What is interesting from the amended motions is that the Wanita Umno leadership has been upgraded on par with the post of party deputy president.
It is learnt that although the post of Wanita Umno Head is on par with the deputy president, yet she cannot replace the deputy president. The Wanita Umno membership has now reached 1.2 million members.
Following the amendments, the posts of vice-presidents have been reduced from six to five including the posts of Umno Youth Head and Puteri Umno Head.
The amendments also touched on the Supreme Council (MT) which had been changed to Supreme Executive Council (MKT) while the Sabah Umno Liaison Body is now known as Sabah Umno.
The amendment also opened the membership to Sabah-born people and Orang Asli compared with Malaysian nationals of Malay race or Bumiputera previously, besides lowering the age for membership from 18 years to 16.
Also amended concerned those individuals who wished to become Umno associate members who could apply directly online. Previously, applications for registration as ordinary members must be submitted to the branch committee which is required to accept and approve the application. — Bernama
