KUALA LUMPUR: The Malay nationalist party United Malays National Organisation’s (UMNO) general assembly, to be held from Jan 14 to 17, is set to be one of its most consequential gatherings in recent times, say analysts.
Set to draw over 6,000 delegates from around the country, the meeting comes at a critical juncture for the party, which turns 80 this year.
UMNO — the lynchpin of Malaysia’s Barisan Nasional (BN) coalition — is a key partner in Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim’s unity government, an alliance formed to resolve the hung parliament following the November 2022 general election.
The annual gathering, originally scheduled for August last year, was initially moved to November before being postponed a second time as the party focused on the Nov 29 Sabah state election.
The assembly takes place amid rising friction with other political parties, especially the Democratic Action Party (DAP), following two unfavourable court rulings for former prime minister and UMNO president Najib Razak last December.
The meeting will be a litmus test of the party’s cohesion, said political analyst Sivamurugan Pandian of Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM).
With the 16th General Election (GE16) due by February 2028, and state polls in Melaka, Johor, and Sarawak looming even sooner, the party’s annual meeting is expected to chart its trajectory.
“This (annual general meeting, or AGM) isn’t just routine housekeeping, it’s one of the last major organised party events before GE16. It will offer insights into how the party reconciles grassroots sentiment with national strategy,” Sivamurugan told CNA.
“This can be considered one of the more important AGMs in UMNO’s history; it comes at a defining crossroads for the party as it celebrates its 80th anniversary,” he added.
The opening ceremony for UMNO’s three wings — Wanita (for women), Youth, and Puteri (for young women) — is scheduled for Wednesday (Jan 14) evening, marking the start of the party’s four-day convention.
The main UMNO general assembly will start on Jan 16 with the president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi’s policy speech, and conclude the day after.
Here are four things to watch at the assembly, which will be held at the World Trade Centre (WTC) in Kuala Lumpur.
Source: CNA
