Expedited UMNO election affects party solidarity - Saarani

Perak UMNO Liaison Committee chairman Datuk Saarani Mohamad said, normally, the election will also affect support for the party in facing GE15.

However, he said, the Supreme Council (SC) has the power to either hold party elections this year or postpone it because both options have good and bad effects.

"Based on past experience, usually if an election is held after the election, there is some effect of the election.

"This is because the loser will probably be sulking. That affects (the solidarity of) the party.

"If the UMNO election is held after the election, the situation may be different. Because, if we want to recruit election candidates, it will probably come from the current incumbents.

"If the (party) election is held first, followed by the general election, it means the candidates will come from new leaders," he said to reporters at the Moh Ngopi Program in conjunction with the Menteri Besar Bersama Rakyat (MESRA) Program in Kampung Selat Layang -Layang Kiri near here today.

Earlier, Rembau Member of Parliament Khairy Jamaluddin was reported to have asked UMNO to expedite the party election before GE15 if it wanted to resolve the internal crisis that has plagued the party in recent months.

Commenting further, Saarani who is also Perak Menteri Besar, said the proposal to expedite the party election as voiced by Khairy was not a big issue.