The motion was proposed yesterday to ensure the two incumbents will not be challenged at the upcoming Umno elections, which must be held by May 19.
It had been reported that Umno was split on whether a contest for the top two posts should be held, with some saying it risks dividing the party, and others arguing that it would allow president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi and his deputy, Mohamad Hasan to prove that they have the support of the grassroots.
Zahid had previously said he would leave it to the delegates to decide whether the two posts should be contested.
The motion was passed through a voice vote.
Earlier today, former Rembau MP Khairy Jamaluddin had claimed that the motion would most likely be “bulldozed” through when it came up for voting.
In a TikTok video, he alleged that name tags on the chairs of delegates were removed to bring in “imported delegates” to bulldoze the motion.
However, Umno information chief Isham Jalil denied the claim, saying that Khairy should be aware that delegates attending the general assembly know each other.
Yesterday, when the proposal for the motion not to contest the top two posts was made by a delegate, boos were heard in the hall.
Tok Mat caught unawares
Meanwhile, Mohamad, or better known as Tok Mat, denied Khairy’s claim that he (Tok Mat) was responsible for having the motion proposed at the general assembly.
Khairy earlier took a dig at Tok Mat as the no-contest motion was proposed by a delegate from Negeri Sembilan, in particular the Rembau division, which is led by the latter.
“I was unaware (that the delegate from Rembau was going to propose it). I, too, was caught off guard when it was proposed.”
He said when voting took place, he saw many delegates standing up to support the motion.
“I, too, stood up, but the party president tugged at my sleeve and told me to sit down,” he said during a press conference.
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