PONTIAN: Umno will hold party polls before the end of this year, if the Registry of Societies (RoS) does not approve the party's application to amend its constitution.
Umno secretary-general Datuk Seri Ahmad Maslan said the party also had a Plan B if it decided not to proceed with the party election before the end of this year.
However, Ahmad, who is also Pontian member of parliament, refused to reveal the plan.
"Umno has a Plan B, but if it does not want to use Plan B, then we will hold party elections before Dec 29.
"However, we want to implement Plan B if the RoS does not pass the constitutional amendment application instead of making a choice. What is Plan B? We will have to wait until later.
"Umno actually does not want to utilise Plan B. We hope RoS approves our application because there is no reason for it not to be approved. It is the same as what MCA has done and it has been approved," he said after handing out meat from sacrificed animals for Aidiladha in Benut, here, today.
Present was Johor Umno chairman Datuk Seri Hasni Mohammad.
Umno had postponed party polls for 18 months after the 2018/2021 term ended on June 30 last year.
Umno must hold its election before Dec 30 this year, which is when the 18 months end.
The party constitutional amendment tabled and adopted at the Umno Extraordinary General Assembly (EGM) on May 15, provides for two additional clauses, among them is 10.16.1 which provides for the polls postponement.
Ahmad denied a statement circulating on social media that Umno leaders were now merely "caretakers", which is among the key factors causing the RoS not to approve the party's constitutional amendment application.
"I would like to deny the statement which says that the current Umno leadership is a 'caretaker' one. We (the current Umno leadership) are not 'caretaker's'. It is a 'caretaker' status only if the postponement of the election is not approved.
"In the Umno constitution, there is a clause allowing party polls to be extended for 18 months.
"So, when we are not caretakers, we have the right to do anything, including taking part in the Melaka and Johor state elections and holding assemblies and EGM's," he said.
Ahmad said if Umno leaders, including the party's 56 supreme working committee members, were "caretakers", then they could not make policy decisions.
"Since we are not a 'caretaker's', we can make policy decisions, including approving amendments to the Umno constitution at the EGM in May.
"Even the fact that Umno leaders are not 'caretakers' was acknowledged by the RoS when I asked them. So this is not a matter of conjecture. The fact is that these Umno office bearers are not 'caretakers'