The elections, for the 2021-2023 term, had been due on June 30 last year but were postponed and must be held before Dec 30 this year.

However, the party seeks to further postpone the elections until after the next general election, which must be held by mid-September next year. The amendment would allow the party to also postpone the elections for 18 months after the expiry of the current leadership term.

About 2,000 delegates are expected to vote on the amendment at an extraordinary general meeting of the party at Dewan Merdeka in the World Trade Centre here.

The motion to amend the party’s constitution will be tabled by party vice-president Khaled Nordin before it is put to the delegates for a decision. There would be no debate, Umno executive secretary Sumali Reduan told Bernama.

The meeting will begin at 2pm with a speech by party president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi. After the vote, party leaders will have a ceremony at Dewan Tun Razak to mark Umno’s 76th anniversary.

The decision to postpone the party elections was taken by the Umno general assembly in March. Umno deputy president Mohamad Hasan said party unity might be affected if party elections were held before the general election.

On Tuesday, Umno secretary-general Ahmad Maslan said the party would submit the list of proposed dates for its party elections to the Registrar of Societies on May 17.