KUALA LUMPUR: After being held on a smaller scale over several years, the Umno General Assembly is now a grander affair – almost on par with the ones before the pandemic.

       This was welcomed by the World Trade Centre Kuala Lumpur (WTCKL) – the historical convention centre and perennial host of the Umno general assembly.

       WTCKL chief operating officer Fauzy Wahab (pic) noted that the recent announcement of the country transitioning to the endemic phase was also a good development.

       He said movement restrictions during the pandemic took a toll on a lot of venues.

       “WTCKL was lucky to be made a mega vaccination centre (PPV) during the pandemic, so this in a way helped us stay afloat.

       “Just after we completed the booster programme, we now have the four-day Umno general assembly to manage.

       “In April, we will enter the transition to endemicity phase and there will be more events and programmes held here. We have already received numerous bookings for weddings and Ramadan events.

       “We are definitely relieved things are returning to normal. You could say that we are finally seeing the light at the end of the tunnel,” said Fauzy in an interview with The Star.

       The Umno general assembly this time around will see the participation of over 5,000 delegates.

       “Including party observers and other guests, we estimate there could be up to 10,000 people present around WTCKL during the assembly.

       “It is definitely on a bigger scale than the last few years, although not as high as 2017 – the last time the assembly was held before GE14.” Due to Covid-19 standard operating procedures (SOP), he said the existing spaces had to be managed to ensure physical distancing could be adhered to.

       The 2021 Umno general assembly takes place from March 16 to March 19.