UMNO AGM: Media can cover assembly - Ku Nan

The media will be allowed to cover the UMNO General Assembly next month after all.

Party secretary-general Datuk Seri Tengku Adnan Tengku Mansor said today the decision was made to retain press coverage following feedback from the grassroots who wanted the proceedings to be broadcast live.

"We received plenty of feedback from around the country. We listened to their (grassroots') views and decided to maintain the usual press coverage.

"We will allow press coverage because our party is the backbone of the government," he told a press conference here.

Tengku Adnan had said yesterday that this year's UMNO general assembly scheduled for Dec 8 to 12 would be a closed-door meeting without press coverage to prevent the media from twisting facts.

The party supreme council decided at a meeting two days ago that the 2015 general assemblies of the wanita, youth and puteri wings would be opened by their respective chiefs instead of the deputy president.

Asked about the deputy president's speech during the winding-up session, Tengku Adnan said no decision had been made yet on the matter.

By convention, before the president's winding-up speech, the chiefs of the wings, vice-presidents and deputy president will address the assembly.

Tengku Adnan said he was of the opinion that the winding-up would suffice with the president's speech.

"In my opinion, the mandate can be given to the president to wind up without the need for the others (to speak)," he said.

On the sacking of Gopeng Wanita UMNO chief Datuk Hamidah Osman from the party, Tengku Adnan said Hamidah had appeared at an opposition platform.

"We received feedback that she had been on the opposition platform and, as such, we have to take action.

"She can appeal," he said.