KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 3 ― A complaint has been filed with the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) against a senior official with the Registrar of Societies (RoS) who allegedly received bribes to overturn an earlier ruling invalidating Umno’s postponement of its party elections.
MACC chief commissioner Datuk Seri Azam Baki confirmed receiving the complaint, but did not comment further, Berita Harian reported last night.
The Malay daily cited an unnamed source saying several dissatisfied people had made a complaint against the RoS official whom they claimed had approved Umno’s application to delay its internal elections through a letter dated August 30.
Umno’s top leadership had wanted the polls delayed to December next year on public health grounds, citing concerns over the Covid-19 outbreak.
The postponement reportedly drew objections from factions within the party against Umno president Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi.
“The [complainant] suspects there was power abuse and corruption to influence the decision to overturn the initial ruling by leaders who are close to a certain faction (in Umno),” the source told Berita Harian.
Umno secretary-general Datuk Seri Ahmad Maslan announced last Monday that RoS had reversed its decision to invalidate Umno’s postponement of its party elections that were initially due on June 30.
The new ruling was notified by RoS director director-general Jasri Kasim. Ahmad said he was grateful for the decision.
Umno last held party elections on June 30, 2018, and the three-year term of its party president and other office-bearers would have ended on June 30 this year, requiring a new party election by then.
It postponed party elections by 18 months from June 30 and the validity of this decision was in dispute.
On August 6, the RoS had said this decision was invalid. It cited the July 7 minutes of the party’s supreme council meeting that noted the decision for postponement was made when the supreme council’s term had already expired.
