GE14 to be held before September 17?

UMNO elections will only be held after the 14th general election (GE14) in order to strengthen the party and focus on the needs of the people, said its information chief, Datuk Ahmad Maslan.

He said this should be understood by the UMNO leadership at all levels regardless of whether branch, division, state or national.

"Our primary goal in postponing the UMNO elections is to focus on serving the people and not to fight for posts.

"Secondly, it is to prevent internal division before a general election," he told reporters after the 'Bersama Sehelai baju.com Buat Menyapu Si Air Mata 2015' programme at Masjid Jamek Parit Ibrahim, Pontian Besar here tonight.

Ahmad, who is also Deputy Finance Minister, rubbished talk that the postponement was to curb democracy in the party.

"Postponing party elections is nothing new in UMNO. We did it during Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad's tenure followed by Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi and now Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak."

The decision was made by consensus and supported by UMNO deputy president Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin, he said.

With the UMNO decision, the leaders agreed to no contest for all posts at all levels next year and in the 18 months after that.

Ahmad said the priority for UMNO and Barisan Nasional (BN) at present was to win GE14.

Earlier, he had presented Hari Raya clothes to 70 orphans from two schools, SRK Pontian Besar and SMK Sri Perhentian.