PM Anwar, Unity Gov't party presidents invited to UMNO General Assembly

KUALA LUMPUR: Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim and the presidents of political parties in the Unity Government have been invited to attend the UMNO General Assembly from June 7 to 10.

UMNO secretary-general Datuk Dr Asyraf Wajdi Dusuki, in describing this as a historic moment for the party, said Anwar has confirmed his attendance but will not be giving a speech.

"Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim will not address...he will be our guest of honour. The agenda will be just the president's policy speech," he told a press conference on the assembly at the UMNO headquarters here today.

The Unity Government is a coalition of 19 political parties.

Apart from the party president, all party wing leaders who support the Unity Government have also been invited.

Commenting on the agenda to be discussed by the delegates at the assembly, Asyraf Wajdi said it would include the people's economic issues, political and government stability, the six state polls, on Islam, the Malays and Bumiputeras.

He said a special assembly would also be held to amend several clauses in the UMNO Constitution to facilitate the registration of new members, especially online.

"This was the intention of President Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi to simplify party membership, especially online membership. We received feedback that many are interested to join UMNO but there are constitutional constraints, for example, every registration must be approved by the division chief, so we want to make it easier to get UMNO closer to the younger generation," he said.

The MARA chairman said a total of 6,341 delegates would be present, thus making it the largest turnout following the decision of the special general assembly last January which approved the constitutional amendment involving the presence of division, information and wing chiefs as automatic delegates at the assembly.

In response to former Rembau MP Khairy Jamaluddin's recent prediction that UMNO is likely to lose half the support of Malay voters in the six state elections, Asyraf Wajdi said it was just his guess.

He insisted that UMNO had never deviated from its agenda and struggle to defend the position of Islam, the Malays and Bumiputeras as well as the Malay Rulers.

-- BERNAMA