Saifuddin confirms Umno was given exemption

PETALING JAYA: Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail (pic) has confirmed that Umno has been given an exemption under the Societies Act 1966 (Act 832) regarding the resolution for no contests for the posts of president and deputy president passed during the party’s 2022 general assembly.

The Home Minister’s statement yesterday came days after Umno president Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, who is also Deputy Prime Minister, said the Registrar of Societies (ROS) had approved the additional motion on the matter that was passed at the assembly.

Saifuddin said the exemption was made based on Section 70 of the Act.

“In reference to Umno’s constitution and meeting rules, the ministry has decided to grant an exemption from compliance of Section 13(1)(c)(iv) through Section 70 of Act 832 regarding the decision of the additional motion approved at the assembly held in January that the president and deputy president posts will not be contested in the upcoming Umno elections,” he said in the statement.

Under Section 70 of the Act, the minister may at his discretion in writing exempt any society registered under the Act from all or any of the provisions of said Act.

On Saturday, Ahmad Zahid, at an Umno event in Penang, said the party had received a letter from the ministry confirming that ROS – which is under the Home Ministry’s purview – had accepted the party’s no-contest resolution for the top two posts.

Before that, Umno vice-president Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob had asked Ahmad Zahid to produce the ROS letter following the controversy over the additional motion passed at the party’s 2022 general assembly in January.

It was reported last month that ROS was investigating alleged violations of the party’s constitution with regard to the approval of the resolution.

Later yesterday, Umno secretary-general Datuk Seri Ahmad Maslan reiterated that the motion for no contests for Umno’s president and deputy president posts did not violate the party’s constitution.

Ahmad tweeted that it was not the first time the top two posts in Umno had been left uncontested.

“Let’s move forward from this and help the citizens of our nation,” he said on Twitter.

His post came following a viral letter dated March 2 purportedly by ROS addressed to Umno saying that the party’s no-contest motion for the two posts was invalid.