Umno to delay party polls for 18 months, says Najib

Prime Minister and Umno president Datuk Seri Najib Razak chairs the party’s supreme council meeting at the Putra World Trade Centre in Kuala Lumpur today. – The Malaysian Insider pic by Nazir Sufari, June 26, 2015.Umno's elections which was scheduled for next year will be postponed for 18 months to allow the party to focus on strengthening Barisan Nasional (BN) ahead of the 14th general election, Datuk Seri Najib Razak said today.

The Umno president told a press conference after chairing the party's supreme council meeting today that the postponement was "not unusual" and had been done during his predecessors' time.

"After discussing this thoroughly, the supreme council decided that the election scheduled for 2016 will be postponed for 18 months, in accordance to Article 10.16 of the party constitution that gives the supreme council the right to postpone the election at the supreme council, areas and divisions.

"The election cannot be postponed for more than 18 months after its scheduled date. The supreme council feels that it is important that we place importance on the people's interests.

"We must prioritise our service to the public, focus on all their needs and on strengthening the party, and any work that must be done so that Umno and our partners are stronger in facing the coming election," said Najib, who is also prime minister. 

Its previous party elections were held in 2013.  The next party polls would most likely be held sometime in the middle of 2018.