KUALA LUMPUR, March 28 — Umno plans to hold its internal party election this year if the general election does not take off, its deputy president Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan said.

He added that another factor that could further delay the elections would be another surge in Covid-19 cases.

"We plan to hold our branch elections in August.

"Two months later we will hold the division and central levels simultaneously nationwide,” he told Malay daily Sinar Harian in an interview published today.

The country’s largest political party of 3.35 million members as of March 26 is overdue for internal elections under the law as a registered society. The election was supposed to be held in 2020 but was postponed due to the Covid-19 pandemic, which worsened in the last quarter of the year.

The party is holding its annual general assembly today, which was also delayed several times due to the pandemic and the government’s movement control order to curb mass infections.

The country is currently in a state of Emergency due to the health crisis, but that is expected to end on August 1.

Umno was finally able to hold its assembly after the government eased back on travel and mass gathering restrictions when the Klang Valley and several other states came back under the conditional movement control order. However, physical distancing and mask wearing are still required under the Emergency rules.

Mohamad who is chairman of the party’s selection committee for its internal election said it is keeping a close watch on the events leading up to when the Emergency will be lifted.

He said the party elections have to be conducted properly in accordance with the law so that members will not challenge the outcome in court, which would adversely affect Umno’s preparations for GE15.

"The process has to be correct, otherwise Umno will end up in trouble,” he was quoted saying.