KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 2 — Umno election committee chairman Tan Sri Shahrir Abdul Samad today advised candidates for the party’s internal polls to adhere to the code of ethics and to be mindful of all prohibitions during the campaigning period.

He said official group gatherings are prohibited at every level, particularly the branch level, from February 1 to February 26th and leaders of branches and divisions are not allowed to speak until the candidates have been chosen and votes have been cast.

“It is our advice that the Umno code of ethics for members become the guideline for the aspects related to actions, decision-making, and behaviour for each candidate so that it becomes a reference and to understand why they should not violate the prohibitions,” he said in a statement.

He said he had suggested to the Umno supreme council for amendments to be made to the party constitution so that candidates may campaign through mass media and social media.

“We are aware that the campaigning period is quite short and that there are prohibitions in the code of conduct for Umno members that are troublesome and that limit the ways candidates can campaign.

“So we suggested to the supreme council for allowances in the campaigning period to use mass media and social media but only to support candidates with the condition that there will not be defamation, mentioning and teasing other candidates as well as not violating Article 5.3 Umno Member Code of Ethics,” he said.

Besides that, he said any complaints involving misbehaviour during the campaigning period must be reported to the Umno disciplinary board immediately.

He also announced that the party’s state and division liaison committee will be in a session to introduce candidates to its grassroots members.

Last Saturday, Umno secretary-general Datuk Seri Ahmad Maslan said the elections for the Umno divisions and its supreme council will be held simultaneously on March 18.

The elections for the party wings — Wanita, Youth, and Puteri — will similarly be held simultaneously but earlier, on March 11.

The Umno polls had been deferred several times, initially due to the Covid-19 pandemic and later due to the 15th general election last year.

Its party election this year will be keenly observed following the sacking and suspension of 44 people including former Youth chief Khairy Jamaluddin, former vice-president Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein, and former Selangor chief Tan Sri Noh Omar.

https://www.malaymail.com/news/malaysia/2023/02/02/umno-election-committee-chairman-reminds-candidates-to-abide-by-member-code-of-ethics-during-party-polls/53156