UMNO 70th anniversary celebration postponed to May 12

The celebration marking the 70th anniversary of UMNO scheduled for May 11 has been postponed by a day to May 12, said UMNO secretary-general Datuk Seri Tengku Adnan Tengku Mansor.

He said this was in view of the Meeting of the Conference of Rulers scheduled for May 11 and a banquet that night.

The decision on the change of dates had been conveyed to all state UMNO and UMNO divisions, he told a press conference here today.

Tengku Adnan said the celebration at the Putra World Trade Centre would be held on a moderate scale with Ya-sin and tahlil for past leaders and the UMNO struggle, as well as party members who died in a helicopter crash in Sarawak last Thursday.

UMNO president Datuk Seri Najib Razak had also decided to cancel all anniversary programmes and activities as a mark of respect over the helicopter mishap that claimed six lives, he said.

The cancelled programmes are an UMNO Day Carnival scheduled for May 14 at Dataran Merdeka and UMNO sports meets and an UMNO Flag Run that were already underway nationwide, he said.

UMNO leaders Datuk Noriah Kasnon (Sungai Besar MP and Deputy Plantation Industries and Commodities Minister) and Datuk Wan Mohammad Khair-il Anuar Wan Ahmad (Kuala Kangsar MP and Malaysian Palm Oil Board chairman) were killed in the crash.

Also killed in the crash of the helicopter during a flight from Betong to Kuching were Noriah's husband Asmuni Abdullah, Plantation Industries and Commodities Ministry secretary-general Datuk Dr Sundaran Annamalai, Noriah's bodyguard Ahmad Sobri Harun and Filipino pilot Capt Rudolf Rex Ragas.