KUALA LUMPUR: The vast majority of Umno delegates who attended the party's annual general assembly at the World Trade Centre KL had supported the motion on not putting the party's top two posts for contest.
This was evident from several videos and photos the New Straits Times had sighted on what transpired in Dewan Merdeka, obtained from various sources.
A 38-second video taken during the voting process showed that an overwhelming number of those in attendance, when asked to demonstrate their support for the motion, stood up and raised their hands in agreement.
The NST spoke to some of the delegates who were in the hall to ask them what transpired when they were asked to stand up to show their support for the 'no-contest' motion.
Machang Umno Women's chief Rahimah Mahamad, who was seated in the middle of the hall when the vote was called, said the vast majority of the delegates stood up to raise their hands in agreement.
She said only a handful of delegates remained seated.
"When we were asked to stand up to signal our support for the motion, an overwhelming majority stood up.
"But when asked if anyone opposed the motion, those who were seated did not stand up.
"Maybe they were embarrassed that their numbers were so few," she said.
She said the voting process took place smoothly and none of the delegates jeered at the no-contest motion.
The additional motion on the 'no-contest' bid was proposed by Negri Sembilan Umno delegate Mohd Shukri Shamsudin.
Meanwhile, the video also showed that the show of support was not limited to the rank and file delegates.
The Umno leaders onstage, including party vice-president Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob, were also among those who were seen standing up in support of the resolution.
Ismail Sabri was among those who had maintained that the top two posts should be open for contest in the party polls.
Former Umno Youth chief Khairy Jamaluddin was also among those who had championed for the posts to be up for contest.
Khairy also courted controversy when he claimed that 'phantom voters' had been brought in to support the no-contest motion.
He had claimed that some of delegates' tags, which has been initially pasted on seats in the hall, were removed to make way for "unknown delegates" to be part of the voting process.
Umno Youth chief Datuk Dr Asyraf Wajdi Dusuki denied the claims, saying that the 'mystery personnel' were the party's Sabil squad officers, who were tasked with controlling the situation inside and outside the hall.
Meanwhile, Umno Youth Young Lawyers Secretariat chairman Nik Saiful Adli Burhan said issues pertaining to the legality of the no-contest motion should have not arisen given that all delegates proceeded to vote for the motion.
"There are two opinions. First, the motion violates the law because no notice was given prior to the tabling of the no-contest motion.
"But whatever it is, the voting process continues and none of the delegates protested regarding the lack of notice. They only did so after.
"When they continued to vote, it implies that they didn't protest (the motion)," he said.
He said delegates should have raised their concerns on the lack of notice during the general assembly.
"It is a general assembly, everyone has the right to talk, to table a motion and to vote but none of the 191 delegates protested the motion," he said.
Nik Saiful said Umno members who wish to contest the decision can bring the matter to court.
However, he noted that they should bear in mind the possibility of them having their membership being terminated automatically.