Yoursay: Perhaps Umno has two or more constitutions

YOURSAY | ‘If we have an independent judiciary, Umno and BN would be in trouble.’

Sacked Umno members to cite party for contempt, says lawyer

Fairnsquare: Sadly, Umno secretary-general Tengku Adnan Tengku Mansor (Ku Nan) does not seem to realise that this is not a breach of the Registrar of Societies (ROS) regulations, but Umno's own constitution.

ROS could have been misled to believe that the postponement of party elections was in accordance with its constitution. The issue is the party’s failure to call an EGM (extraordinary general meeting) to extend its elections for another 18 months.

ROS will be breaching the Societies Act if it allows all societies, including Umno, to blatantly ignore its own constitution.

They seem to have focused on dissolving Pakatan Harapan but overlooked Umno's grave error. They should have heeded former minister Rais Yatim's advice.

Ash Burn: The sacking of Umno 16 is unlawful and given its timing, that is, after the filing of the judicial review, it lends weight to a clear attempt to interfere with the administration of justice.

Quigonbond: If we have an independent judiciary, Umno and BN would be in trouble. But they don't have to worry.

The courts will surely back them up by, once again, coming up with schizophrenic interpretations of law for Umno and for others.

Wg321: Maybe Umno may try to win this court case on technical grounds. They may claim that these 16 Umno members have not exhausted all their internal remedies within the party before going to the court. Thus, they have no locus standi to go to court.

I believe that internal remedies are used to solve grievances within the party, but internal remedies cannot solve the legality of the party’s existence. Only the court can decide the legal existence of Umno.

Instead of sacking the 16 Umno members who sought the intervention of the courts, Ku Nan should get the government to sack the incompetent ROS director-general (Surayati Ibrahim) for giving Umno wrong advice.

ROS should advise Umno to insert a new clause in their constitution to say that Umno elections can be postponed a second time to the maximum of another 18 months.

In this way, the ROS has the authority to give a second extension. Instead, the ROS illegally gave Umno a second extension straightaway.

Cogito Ergo Sum: The 16 members are heroes, not only in their party but for the nation. They are doing their best to save Malaysia from going further down a spiral that the Umno leadership has driven us into.

My hope is that courts come up with an epoch-making decision that will return dignity back to the judiciary and justice to Malaysia.

This is the moment that brave men and women must step forward and change the course of history.

Vgeorgemy: As someone correctly said recently, we are experiencing a dangerous time in our country with a political environment where basic facts are disputed, the fundamental truth is questioned, lying is normalised and unethical behaviour is ignored, excused, glorified or rewarded.

Zahid: Expulsion of 16 Umno members in line with the law

Vision2020: Isn't it ironical for caretaker deputy prime minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi to state that the sacking of the 16 party dissidents is in accordance to Umno constitution, while as a matter of fact and on the same contention, Umno has also breached its own constitution for not conducting an AGM (annual general meeting) after 18 months from their first extension by ROS.

ROS has no jurisdiction to decide Umno’s second extension and that is why the 16 members have resorted to the court to determine the legality of the party and for contempt of court through the unjustifiable termination of their Umno membership due to their legal action in court.

Vijay47: Pardon me, Ahmad Zahid, but all these recent developments involving Umno have truly confused me.

First of all, kindly let me know whether your party, famed and mighty as it is, has two or more constitutions.

You have now stated that under the Umno constitution, anyone who approaches the courts regarding any party matter will automatically cease being a member. I am sure you will be able to quote the relevant chapter and verse on this.

By the same token, could you please quote me the section or article which provides for Umno elections to be postponed as frequently and indefinitely as it wishes.

Perhaps you could also share with us whether the ROS has her personal constitution that allows her to do as she pleases, just like the omnipotence former House speaker Pandikar Amin Mulia claims to have.

SelangorKu: The brave group of 16 is seeking a clarification whether Umno is legal or not to protect the status of the party in the upcoming GE14.

The fact that they have been sacked is already a "mala fide" action by Umno. The intention is to tell the court the group of 16 has been sacked and therefore have no locus standi to initiate the action. 

The court has to determine whether the ROS has the power to give another extension over and above the 18 months that was already given.

OKU Watch: What does this man know about the law. The sacking of the 16 after filing a court case, regardless of what the constitution of Umno states about members filing a case, is of no concern.

In this case, the constitution of the land takes precedence and anything less favourable should be considered ineffective and null and void.

Anonymous_6da98020: Indeed, once the party becomes illegal, the constitution renders any clauses stipulated within to be unenforceable, thus the expulsion of members is invalid.

Peach Blossom: Umno is now behaving like a driver with an expired driving licence. A responsible driver will always make sure that his or her driving licence is always renewed on time. - Mkini