KUALA LUMPUR: Umno hopes that the Registrar of Societies (ROS) will have no obstacle to approving the party’s constitutional amendment application, says party secretary-general Datuk Seri Ahmad Maslan.
Ahmad said he believed that Umno had complied with the prescribed procedures and processes in implementing the amendment, adding that the amendment to Clause 10.16 of Umno’s constitution, which was unanimously approved by the special general assembly, was also done in accordance with Clause 30 of the constitution.
"We are still waiting for approval from ROS. All supplementary documents had been submitted. There are no questions or other documents that ROS requires. I asked them about this myself.
"The approval (that is needed) is the same approval that ROS granted to MCA regarding the amendments to (MCA’s) constitution which have the same meaning or equivalent to the amendments to Umno’s constitution," he said in a statement posted on Twitter Friday (July 8).
Ahmad also denied allegations that the current Umno office bearers are caretakers and cannot make policy decisions, including amendments to its constitution.
Ahmad said ROS had confirmed the matter and that the term “caretaker” was not in Umno’s constitution during the extension of its term which is until Dec 29.
"In Umno’s constitution, Clause 10.16 reads ‘the Supreme Council (MT) has the right to postpone elections at the MT, division and branch levels. This postponement shall not be more than 18 months from the date that the elections are supposed to be held’.
"The MT has already decided to postpone the elections for 18 months. The postponement was confirmed through a letter of approval from the ROS on Aug 30 last year. This means that this term for the office-bearers is extended until Dec 29 this year,” he added.
Thus, Ahmad said Umno has the right to make any decision in the interest of the party as enshrined in Clause 10.15 of the constitution, which allows it to take any measures to ensure the smoothness of the party’s journey.
He said during the extension period, Umno, among others, was involved in the Melaka state election on Nov 20 last year; in the Johor polls on March 12 this year; held the Umno general assembly from March 16 to 19 last year and a special general assembly on May 15 this year.
"It was all lawful according to Umno’s constitution," he said.
Umno currently has 56 supreme council members, 191 divisions and 21,156 branches nationwide. - Bernama
