KUALA LUMPUR: A claim has surfaced about a 'Merdeka Hall Move' to ensure the additional motion for a no-contest stance for Umno's top two posts to be passed without any hindrance at today's party general assembly.
Former Umno Youth chief Khairy Jamaluddin said "phantom delegates" were being brought in to add to the numbers of people who will lend their support for the voice vote for the additional motion.
He said some of the tags of delegates, which were initially pasted on seats in Dewan Merdeka, World Trade Centre Kuala Lumpur were removed to make way for unknown delegates to be part of the vote.
"Later this evening, there will be a vote on the additional motion and I was made to understand that there is a move to bulldoze through with (the vote).
"In fact, the tags on the chairs in Merdeka Hall have been removed to allow these 'phantom delegates' to enter the hall and to cheer (for the voice vote," he said in a TikTok posting today.
Khairy also put deputy president Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan in the spot after the additional motion was proposed by a delegate from Negri Sembilan.
"What happened to you Tok Mat Hasan? If you want to table that motion, do not make it obvious," he said.
Rembau Umno Youth division information chief Mohd Shukri Shamsudin had tabled the additional motion during the debate on the president's policy speech yesterday.
The motion has received mixed reactions from delegates.
Federal Territories Umno has rejected the additional motion for there to be no contest for the top two posts. A Johor Umno delegate has also described the motion as having "imperfections."
However, Umno Supreme Council member Datuk Dr Mohd Puad Zarkashi said a majority of the delegates yesterday (Jan 13) were in favour of there being no contest for the president's and deputy president's posts.
Yesterday, Umno secretary-general Datuk Seri Ahmad Maslan told Berita Harian the "additional motion" would be allowed if it followed the standing order of the party's general assembly.
#kw: Khairy Jamaluddin, Umno, contest, Merdeka Hall, Mohamad Hasan, voice, vote