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| Umno Assembly Delegates endorse constitutional amendments |
| Written by Chan Kok Leong, Chua Sue-Ann & Lam Jian Wyn | |||
| Thursday, 15 October 2009 14:09 | |||
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KUALA LUMPUR: After just 15 minutes of debate, 2,539 delegates endorsed all the constitutional amendments at the Umno extraordinary general meeting today. Apart from several queries on the lifetime membership fees, the delegates were in full support for the changes, presented by Constitutional Amendment Committee chairman Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein. According to a delegate from the Bayan Baru division, the party needs to re-check the membership files before implementing the lifetime membership fee amendment. “Currently, our rolls still have deceased members or those who have moved to the Opposition parties,” he explained. “If we don’t clean up the rolls and purge these names out, they can come back during our annual general meeting and cause havoc,” he added. For Muntahar Kailan from Muar, the proposed RM2 lifetime membership fee was too low. “Today, you can’t even buy a packet of sweets or cigarettes with RM2. And for us members, who have been paying annual fees since 1940s, its unfair to introduce such an easy rule," Muntahar said. He requested the supreme council to consider increasing the one-time fee to RM10 instead. Datuk Adam Abdul Hamid from Pulai, however, was concerned about how the one-time fee would influence the question of quorum for meetings. He asked if the meeting chairman could adjourn the meetings if the quorum is not met within 30 minutes and after conferring with the division chairman. Hishammuddin promised to look into some of the queries. “We had initially thought this was going to be difficult as it is not easy for them to give up their voting rights to 146,500 members,” said Hishammuddin at a press conference after the EGM was adjourned. “But the speed with which they passed the amendments goes to show their maturity and seriousness with reform,” he added. He said that more work lies ahead as the party will have to form an election committee able to oversee simultaneous elections across 191 divisions nationwide. The seven amendments passed were; 1. That election of Umno Supreme Council members be opened to 146,500 members instead of the current 2,510 delegates. The number is derived from a rough estimate of 500 members multiplied by 191 divisions. According to Hishammuddin, 95,000 votes will be from normal members while 51,500 votes will come from the three wing movements. 2. The removal of the quota for contesting seats in the Supreme Council and other office bearers. However, those intending to contest for seats in Supreme Council and above need to have served as a committee member for one term at the division level. Those planning to contest at the division level must be a member for at least three years. 3. The appointment of more Wanita members. The President’s discretion to appoint Supreme Council members is now boosted to 13 from the current 12, whereby the extra seat must be given to a Wanita member. At the division level this number is boosted to eight from seven while at the branch level, to six from five members. 4. The Election of division, branch and Supreme Council leaders are to be done simultaneously and that an election committee be formed to conduct the election. 5. That there be a one-time subscription fee of RM2 for members instead of yearly renewals. 6. That a mandate be given to the three movement leaders to approve new memberships. 7. That division secretaries to be given an automatic place in the annual delegates conference.
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