KUALA LUMPUR: A majority of delegates at the 2022 Umno General Assembly yesterday (Friday) were in favour of the additional motion to keep the top two party posts uncontested in the upcoming party election, Datuk Dr Mohd Puad Zarkashi said.
The Umno Supreme Council member dismissed reports suggesting that the additional motion were given the thumbs down among delegates.
"Some quarters (within the party) were happy that the no contest motion was booed among delegates (during yesterday's session of the general assembly). Moreover, after such an incident was reported by one or two news portals including a Malay daily.
"In actual fact, only one or two Umno division chiefs booed when the additional motion made its way into the hall (Dewan Merdeka of the Kuala Lumpur World Trade Centre).
"However, almost two-thirds of the delegates stood up as a sign of supporting the additional motion by the delegate from Negri Sembilan Umno," he said in a posting on his Facebook.
Puad also claimed Umno division chiefs who were not in favour of the additional motion were accomplices of the party's members of parliament who signed the statutory declarations (SDs) declaring their support for Perikatan Nasional (PN) chairman Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin as the prime minister after the 15th General Election (GE15).
"There were also other delegates who voiced their support for the additional motion for no contests for the top two posts in the party," he said.
Puad again confirmed the additional motion for the posts of Umno president and deputy president to remain unchallenged in the party polls will be put to a vote today.
"Let us see what will happen today. The (additional) motion will be put to a vote. I hope no one will accuse the party of being undemocratic after the voting session concludes," he said.
It was reported yesterday the additional motion was proposed by Rembau Umno division delegate, Mohd Shukri Shamsudin, during the debate on the party president's policy speech at the 2022 Umno General Assembly.
The additional motion was seconded by Marang Umno division chief Datuk Nik Dir Nik Wan Ku.
Umno secretary-general Datuk Seri Ahmad Maslan told Berita Harian the "additional motion" was allowed if it followed the standing order of the party's general assembly.
"The matter (additional motion) was explained by Umno permanent chairman (Tan Sri Badruddin Amiruldin) during the assembly (during the debate session of the party president's policy speech).
"The matter is allowed since it complied with the standing order (of the general assembly)," he said.
