PETALING JAYA: Umno vice-president Ismail Sabri Yaakob wants proof of the letter from the Registrar of Societies (RoS) clearing the party of any wrongdoing over the no-contest motion for the top two posts in the upcoming polls.
Ismail said Umno president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi should make the letter public as there were contradicting news reports on the response from RoS, Berita Harian reported.
“Ask him (Zahid) to show us the letter from RoS. This is because there are two contradicting news reports.
“One report states that RoS cleared Umno and the other says it did not. Everyone is confused,” he was quoted as saying.
However, Ismail did not provide any details as to the media outlet which supposedly carried the news report on RoS not clearing Umno of wrongdoing.
Last night at a press conference in Penang, Zahid revealed that RoS had cleared the party of wrongdoing.
“The secretary-general received a letter, dated March 3, from the home ministry to inform us of the minister’s decision on the motion,” he said, referring to Ahmad Maslan and Saifuddin Nasution Ismail, respectively.
According to the letter, which Zahid read out, the home ministry had exempted the party from complying with a section in the Societies Act 1966.
RoS comes under the home ministry’s purview.
“The letter confirms and validates that the top two posts will not be contested as the (Umno) permanent chairman has abided by the rules and clauses in the party constitution,” he said.
This included the permanent chairman asking delegates if they agreed with the motion, he said, adding that 95% of the delegates agreed.
Last month, it was reported that RoS was investigating a possible violation of the party’s constitution after the motion was approved at its general assembly in January.
The investigation came about after two Umno members lodged a report with RoS claiming that the tabling of the motion at the general assembly had breached Article 10 of the party’s constitution.
They insisted that any motion had to be tabled two weeks before the general assembly, or seven days if it was tabled by the Supreme Council.
The Umno elections will commence on March 11, with the Wanita, Youth and Puteri leadership posts being up for grabs, while division officials, vice-presidents and members of the Supreme Council will be elected on March 18.