UMNO Supreme Council election results expected from 10pm onwards

The official results of the UMNO elections for the vice-presidency and Supreme Council seats are expected to be announced tonight from 10pm onwards, said executive secretary Datuk Ab Rauf Yusoh.

He said the results would be announced as they poured in similar to that of the wings last Saturday.

"It all depends on the number of delegates involved. For divisions having more than 1,000 or 2,000 delegates like in Kinabatangan, Semporna and Baling, the results can be expected as early as 1am," he told reporters after attending the Masjid Tanah UMNO division delegates' meeting here today.

Ab Rauf is vying for the Masjid Tanah UMNO division chief post against former Melaka chief minister Tan Sri Abdul Rahim Tamby Chik and Kuala Linggi assemblyman Datuk Ismail Othman.

About 146,000 grassroots members are casting their votes for divisional and top leaders compared to the previous practice where only 2,500 delegates decided the fate of the leaders at the Supreme Council level at the UMNO general assembly in the federal capital.

Ab Rauf said only the UMNO headquarters and its election committee were authorised to announce the official results which were certified and final.

He said until noon today, the delegates' meetings and the electoral process went smoothly without any hitch. On a claim that the delegates' meetings in Kalabakan and Kinabatangan, both in Sabah, degenerated into chaos, Ab Rauf said he had yet to receive a report on the matter.

He reminded delegates to abide by the procedures stipulated to avoid untoward incidents during the meeting and elections.