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UMNO president Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi today said the party polls, originally scheduled this year, will now be held only after the next general election.
"We'll wait after the election, okay... we have 18 months. Amendments made to the party constitution in 2022 allow the party to postpone its polls for a certain period," he said.
Under the amended constitution, Umno’s Supreme Council may now postpone party elections for up to 18 months after the end of a full three-year term, or six months after a general election — whichever is later.
Previously, there were UMNO leaders at the branch level who recommended to the party leadership that the 2026 UMNO election should not be postponed.
On whether the two highest positions in the party would be contested, he said that the matter would also be decided after the 16th General Election.
Ahmad Zahid had also previously stated that he was open to the two highest positions in the party being contested in the 2026 UMNO election.
However, he said UMNO needed to strengthen the party first, rather than thinking about the election and the party's highest positions.
The next general election must be held by February 2028. – January 16, 2026