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KUALA LUMPUR – The Umno general assembly slated to be held here next week will see an increase in the number of observers involving information chiefs from all divisions and party branches.
Secretary-general Datuk Seri Ahmad Maslan said information chiefs from all the three Umno wings – Wanita, Youth, and Puteri – had wanted to automatically be allowed to attend the assembly so that they could explain to the members at the division and branch levels about the president’s policy speech and also the debates by the delegates.
“That is among the reasons why information chiefs of Wanita Umno, Umno Youth, and Puteri Umno will be automatically included as observers at the next party assembly,” he told a press conference on the Umno general assembly here today.
At the same time, Ahmad said the party’s general assembly on Friday (January 13) and Saturday (January 14) will be attended by 2,648 delegates and 174 observers comprising division information chiefs, bringing the total to 2,822.
He said the Wanita Umno assembly will involve 950 delegates with 167 information chiefs, while the Umno Youth assembly will have 967 delegates with 179 information chiefs, and Puteri Umno will see the attendance of 958 delegates with 155 information chiefs.
Prior to this, Ahmad was reported as saying that a special general assembly will be held after the president’s policy speech on January 13 to amend two clauses of the party constitution, namely involving Clause 20.11 which states that the membership of any Umno members will be automatically revoked if they leave the party, or contest as an independent or a candidate for another party during an election.
He said the amendment was to ensure that the party constitution is in line with amendments to the federal constitution on anti-party hopping.
The other amendment was to Clause 8.4 to have all information chiefs automatically selected as delegates to the Umno general assembly every year.
Meanwhile, Ahmad said whether the debates at the general assembly will be broadcast live or recorded will depend on the decision of the Umno Supreme Council monthly meeting on January 5.
He also said that the Umno general assembly will also be enlivened by almost 100 booths selling various items at Level 2 of the Kuala Lumpur World Trade Centre here.
The general assembly, which was initially slated for December 21 to 24 last year, was postponed to January 11 to 14 this year. – Bernama, January 3, 2022