Groups out to prove that UMNO is illegal

Some 100 bloggers and cyber-activists gathered in Kuala Lumpur yesterday in what is being touted as the first step towards seeking a declaration that UMNO is illegal..

The session was jointly organised by PKR-linked Malaysian Youth Solidarity (SAMM) and Gabungan Blogger Revolusi 13.

Their campaign is based on the claim that UMNO's divisions and branches nationwide had not undergone any re-registration process after the 1988 court declaration that the party was illegal following a lengthy battle between those alligned with Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah and the then UMNO president Dr Mahathir Mohamad.

The decision soon led to Razaleigh to set-up his splinter party Semangat '46 and Mahathir to form 'UMNO Baru', the latter consolidating his power through several controversial actions including the dismissal of Lord President Salleh Abbas.

According to SAMM's Badrul Hisham Shaharin, further strengthening the argument that UMNO is illegal was the fact that many of the party's branches have failed to submit documents annually as required by the Societies Act 1966.

"As a result, thousands of UMNO branches are in fact illegal. As UMNO uses the delegates system [for divisional meetings], it follows that the party's divisions are illegal since the divisional meetings are comprised of delegates from these illegal branches. Consequently, these illegal divisions' representatives to the UMNO general assembly would render UMNO itself to be illegal," explained Badrul.

He recalled that in 2008, 125 branches under the Tanah Merah UMNO division were found to be unregistered entities.

However, the complainant could not pursue the matter in court after his locus standi was called into question following the submission of a 'backdated' letter of his dismissal as UMNO member.

"Yet Tanah Merah UMNO went ahead with its meeting made up of delegates from the illegal branches, who then were sent as delegates to the UMNO general assembly," he added.

He further said that checks with the Registrar of Societies (ROS) revealed that half of the 2,181 UMNO branches in Kelantan are not registered.

Similarly, questions have been asked on the status of hundreds of the party's branches in Shah Alam, Penang and Alor Setar, said Badrul.

"So is it any wonder our country is now faced with a thousand and one problems? The nation is governed by an illegal political organisation," he said.

He called on bloggers and cyber-activists to publish online results of any official search with the ROS on the status of UMNO branches.

He said all such information would then be available at www.anakmudamalaysia.com and its affiliated sites. -HD