Umno Eyes Return To Delegates System In Party Polls As Zahid Seeks To Tighten Party Grip

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A proposal to revert to the previous system, which limits voting rights to just 2,500 delegates, has raised concerns about money politics.
(MalaysiaNow) – Plans are afoot in Umno to reintroduce the delegates system for choosing top posts, over a decade after the party switched to a new system that extended the democratic process to more members across the country, MalaysiaNow has learnt.
The prospect has however been criticised by grassroots members, many of whom see it as an attempt to consolidate the position of Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, under whose leadership Umno has declined since the 2022 general election.
It is understood that the proposal is one of the motions to be discussed at the divisional meetings in the run-up to the Umno general assembly on Aug 20.
The motion will then be debated at the general assembly, with a decision to be made by the party’s Supreme Council.
If it is passed, Umno divisions will send 15 delegates each, plus six as representatives of the party’s wings, to elect the top leadership.
The next party elections will be held in 2026.
The motion, sighted by MalaysiaNow, urged the Supreme Council to review the party’s existing election procedures, particularly for key leadership positions including the president, deputy president and vice-president, as well as for the election of the youth, women’s and Puteri wings.
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