KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 29 — Umno is actively registering an estimated 661,000 party members who are eligible as voters.
Umno vice-president Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein said the move was being implemented by another vice-president Datuk Seri Mohd Shafie Apdal as chairman of Umno’s Membership Bureau.
“I understand Datuk Seri Shafie is working towards registering party members who have not done so,” said Hishammuddin, who is Home Minister, in a short message service (SMS) reply to Bernama here today.
Mohd Shafie, who is Rural and Regional Development Minister, was reported to have directed state Umno offices to clean-up their membership lists and ensure that those members who are eligible register with the Election Commission (EC) by the first quarter of next year.
Umno Youth through its Membership and Election Bureau is actively carrying out a registration campaign to ensure the wing’s members who are eligible to vote could be registered as voters by June next year.
The bureau’s chairman, Mohd Hishamuddin Yahaya, said 210,743 Youth members had been identified as eligible to vote.
“Based on the campaign, the young voters will have a positive reaction to Umno Youth’s efforts. We are confident that based on current developments via various programmes being implemented to approach young voters, they will be with Umno and Barisan Nasional in the next general election,” he said on the Umno Youth website.
Puteri Umno is targeting that at least 60 per cent of its 119,000 members who had not registered as voters would do so by June next year.
Its chief, Datuk Rosnah Abdul Rashid Shirlin, when contacted said the target was important in efforts to provide vote advantage to Umno and Barisan Nasional.
“Puteri takes this seriously and I have directed state Puteri offices to ensure that elgible members register as voters. This is important so they know their responsibilty,” she said.
Puteri Umno now has 340,000 members. — Bernama