KOTA KINABALU: A contender for the Batu Sapi Umno’s top post pulled off a “coup” by bulldozing the division’s annual meeting, without the division chief or secretary present.
However, Sekong assemblyman Datuk Samsudin Yahya’s bid for office is likely to fail, as all pointers show that he had acted on his own and did not follow the meeting rules in his attempt to topple division chief Datuk Juhar Mahiruddin, who is also his cousin and the state Speaker.
Juhar said that the meeting held at the Sandakan community hall on Saturday was invalid, as he had used his powers as division chief to postpone the meeting since both the Batu Sapi Youth and Wanita wings had technical problems with their meetings.
“I wanted to let them (Youth and Wanita) sort out their problems and join the main division meetings,” he said, adding that the meeting had been re-scheduled for the first week of November.
Juhar also said that he had sent out a notice to the Sabah Umno secretariat to check on the validity of the meeting conducted by Samsudin.
“I believe it was an illegal meeting as it did not follow procedures, including tabling the secretary’s report.
“I don’t know why Samsudin is in such a hurry, he can’t wait is it?” he said.
Samsudin could not be reached for comment.
State Umno secretariat officials said the matter was under investigation and admitted that there were a lot of questions over the conduct of the meeting.
If the meeting is declared invalid, the various nominations made for the posts of party president, deputy, vice and supreme council would similarly be invalid.
Chief Minister Datuk Musa Aman said yesterday that various complaints arising from the current round of Umno elections were being investigated.
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