UMNO to issue 4 mil ballot papers for MT election

More than four million ballot papers will be issued for the UMNO Supreme Council election (MT) for the posts of deputy permanent chairman, three vice-presidents and 25 MT members.

UMNO executive secretary Datuk Ab Rauf Yusof said there would no leakage as police would keep the ballot papers before distributing them to all divisions.

He said the ballot papers featuring different colours for each posts were incorporated with 18 safety features and illuminated with ultra violet radiation to detect fake ones.

A total of 14.6 million ballot papers will be issued for the party polls for the Supreme Council and wings - Wanita, Youth and Puteri - as well as divisions nationwide, including Sabah, he told reporters at UMNO election simulation post-mortem at the UMNO Empowerment Training Institute (Ilmu) in Janda Baik here, today.

He said UMNO would also provide 2,000 automated counting machines, 100 ballot boxes and 320 ballot baskets to each division.

Ab Rauf said 206 officers from UMNO headquarters would assist divisions in the election process and vote-counting.

He said UMNO would print a book featuring MT candidate photographs after Oct 7, the final day when candidate lists would be issued to delegates.

Transcripts of the permanent chairman's speech and the prayer will be issued to ensure uniformity, he said, adding 35,000 volunteers would be involved in conducting the new election system, the first after the party amended the constitution in 2009 to allow 146,000 delegates to vote.

Ab Rauf said 33,682 candidates would be vying for positions, of which 260 for 76 MT posts, Wanita (51), Youth (94) and Puteri (38) while the rest for divisional posts.

The Wanita, Youth and Puteri polls will be held on Oct 12 while divisional and MT elections on Oct 19.