KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 23 — Umno supreme council member Datuk Armand Azha Abu Hanifah claimed today that complaints made against him were meant to stop him from contesting for the Youth chief’s post.
After a meeting with Umno disciplinary board today, Armand said he submitted several “documents” to show his innocence and which would allow him to contest to be the Umno Youth chief and defend his leadership of the party’s Subang division.
“The response from the disciplinary board was positive. It shows they are pro-active and have put the integrity of the disciplinary board of the party at the fore.
“The disciplinary board also said they would not bar me from submitting my nomination form,” he told a press conference at the Riverside Cafe, WTC KL today.
However, Armand did not comment on the complaints against him, saying that he did not want to intrude on the disciplinary board’s prerogative.
He claimed those behind the complaints did not want him to contest to be Umno Youth chief and were acting for other party leaders.
Armand, who was appointed as a supreme council member in 2021, said he has received the blessings to contest for the post and that he did not have any disputes with Umno president Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi.
“I was already given the nod to contest (in the Youth chief post), I have been asking for the nod since PAU (Umno general assembly).
“I am an appointed supreme council member, if I have a problem with the president, he would have sacked me but I am still with the supreme council until their final meeting,” he said.
Armand is expected to face Jasin Umno Youth chief and Melaka exco Dr Akmal Saleh for the post.
Umno Youth secretary Datuk Hasmuni Hassan, who had expressed his desire to contest, has since retracted his candidacy to support Dr Akmal.
The position is open as the incumbent, Datuk Asyraf Wajdi Dusuki, announced his decision not to defend the post in the Umno general assembly in January this year.
The 2023 Umno election will run from February 1 to March 18, with Umno branches across the country holding their annual meetings until February 26 to choose their respective leaders.
Meanwhile, the Women, Youth and Puteri — the three party’s wing — will have their simultaneous polls on March 11. The election for Umno’s main national body including Umno supreme council members and top leadership will be held on March 18.
Last January, the Umno general assembly approved a motion that the top two post will not be contested, before going on to purge dissenters including former Umno Youth chief Khairy Jamaluddin.
