JOHOR BARU: Umno ministers should fight for Parliament to reconvene instead of pushing for party elections, which are expected to be postponed because of the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic.

       Johor Baru Umno division chief Tan Sri Shahrir Samad questioned how the party was expected to hold an election involving 150,000 delegates during the pandemic.

       “They as ministers find it difficult to reconvene Parliament involving 222 MPs yet they want the party to hold its election involving 150,000 Umno members casting their votes.

       “When it comes to reconvening Parliament, where the MPs have already been fully vaccinated, these ministers keep on shifting the goalposts,” he said after presenting petrol and food vouchers to taxi and e-hailing drivers here on Sunday (June 27).

       Shahrir added that it was the National Security Council (NSC) that did not give its permission to Umno holding party elections.

       “Those who are making noise and pushing for party elections now are those who lost in the last one,” he said.

       On the attacks directed at Umno president Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, Shahrir said it was expected in the scheme of things, especially in view of how many MPs had switched sides since last year.

       He said in his view, the present line-up with Ahmad Zahid, his deputy Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan and their fellow office-bearers was much better than previous committees.

       “To me, Umno is at its strongest point not because of its position within the government but during its time in the opposition for 22 months, as it made our grassroots stronger than ever before.

       “The problem started to appear when Umno MPs received government positions. But no one, not even the party president, can change what was decided during the party’s general assembly,” he added.

       Shahrir said these decisions included Umno cutting ties and not working with Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia (Bersatu) in the 15th General Election.

       “Maybe the notice given, of not working with Bersatu, is too long as there seems to be a movement or manoeuvres to deny the decision made during the general assembly,” he added.

       On Friday (June 25), former Umno secretary-general Tan Sri Annuar Musa said he was still optimistic that party elections could take place in September.

       In a Facebook post, Annuar said the party polls and delegates' meetings should go ahead as planned in September, but hinted that it could still be derailed by “certain factions with differing beliefs in the party”.

       A party source, however, had said the Umno polls could be postponed by up to 18 months.

       The source said while the decision to postpone the party election was made via an online resolution, it will be made official in the next supreme council meeting.

       "When the meeting is called, the decision (to postpone the polls) can be properly stamped," the source said.

       Umno, which has 3.35 million members as of March 26, was due to call party elections last year but this was postponed due to the Covid-19 pandemic, which saw spikes at the end of 2020 following the Sabah state election.

       According to Umno's constitution, the supreme council has the prerogative to postpone party polls up to 18 months from the date when the elections are supposed to be held.

       Umno elections are held every three years, with the last one held on June 30, 2018. The current term of Umno's office -bearers is set to expire on Wednesday (June 30).