KUALA LUMPUR: Umno remains a valid party registered with the Registry of Societies (RoS) despite the postponement of its election.
Umno secretary-general Datuk Seri Tengku Adnan Tengku Mansor said RoS had allowed the party to postpone its election until April 19 next year.
As such, the party is perfectly eligible to contest in the 14th General Elections (GE-14).
He said the postponement of the election was subject to RoS approval in accordance with the Societies Act 1966 and residual power under Section 3A of the same Act, which came into effect on June 10, 1988.
“A letter from the RoS dated 31 October 2017 (Reference: PPM / WKL251 / 88 Jld 5 (2)) addressed to the Secretary General’s office stated that the postponement of Umno Supreme Council election - to be held by April 19, 2019 - is allowed.
“The time extension given by RoS to Umno to hold the Umno Supreme Council election for 2017 is an additional power of the RoS, implemented in accordance with the law,” he said in a statement here today.
He said doubts among grassroots on Umno’s status as a legitimate party should not have arisen.
Tengku Adnan, who is also Federal Territories Minister, stressed that Umno had always respected and complied with the RoS’s requirements.
He called on Umno members to remain committed, focused and work hard to ensure Barisan Nasional (BN) and Umno win big in GE14.