The Umno supreme council at its meeting tonight proposed that those wanting to contest top party post will have to be committee members at the divisional level for at least one term.

mic election 120909 najib Umno president Najib Abdul Razak ( left ), speaking briefly to reporters after the meeting, said: "No other higher requirement is needed other than this, including for the post of president."

He added that to contest for a divisional post, one needed to be an Umno member for at least three years.

Najib hoped delegates will pass the amendments suggested by the supreme council at tomorrow's EGM.

He said the council had made a careful study of the seven proposed amendments to the constitution and took into consideration all the feedback to work out the best formula.

Full support

The EGM will table, discuss and pass the amendments one by one. Najib added that all three wings had supported the amendments.

NONE Umno Constitutional Amendments Committee chairperson Hishammuddin Hussein had earlier said that the seven amendments were part of a transformation process to make the party more democratic, transparent and inclusive.

"Although only seven matters are to be amended, the impact is historical and meaningful for the party. And, this needs the unanimous decision of the delegates to the special general assembly tomorrow," said Hishammuddin.

The six other proposed amendments are:

  • The number of delegates who elect the top party officials to increase from the 2,510 delegates to 146,500.
  • The appointment of Wanita Umno representatives to take up seats on committees at the branch, divisional and supreme council levels. (This proposed amendment raises the number of appointed members, from 12 to 13 on the supreme council, from seven to eight on the divisional committees, and from five to six on the branch committees.)
  • The elections at the divisional and top levels will be held simultaneously, and as such an Umno elections committee would be set up to supervise the elections in terms of logistics and cost. (Members of this committee will be appointed by the party president.)
  • The abolition of the annual membership fee and its replacement with a life membership fee.
  • Giving the mandate to the Umno Youth, Wanita Umno and Puteri Umno chiefs at the branch level to verify new membership.
  • Recognising divisional secretaries automatically as delegates to the Umno general assembly.