KUALA LUMPUR– The recently-set up Organisation of Former Umno Elected Representatives will champion the interests of the Malays in the areas of economy, education, religion and language, in tandem with the party’s struggle.

President Adam Kadir said the organisation, which was registered on Dec 14 last year, would safeguard the fundamental rights of the Malays as enshrined in the Federal Constitution.

It will intensify efforts to unite the Malays, he told news agency Bernama .

Adam said the organisation provides for two types of membership: ordinary (for former elected representatives) and associate.

"The ordinary members comprise former  MPs, former senators and former state assemblymen from Umno.

“The associate membership will be offered to individuals such as Malay intellectuals and leaders," he said.

The supreme assembly members

The organisation will appoint a secretary-general and discuss several current issues related to the Malay community at its next meeting, the date of which has yet to be fixed.

The organisation currently has two vice presidents - Abdul Aziz Shamsuddin and Thamrin  Abdul Ghafar.

Six other members of its supreme assembly are: Sanusi Junid, Sabaruddin Chik, Mokhtar Hashim, Dr Suleiman Mohamed, Aziz Yassin and Dr Afiffudin Omar.

Other veteran groups

Aside the organisation, another group  had also iformed the Umno Veterans Council,  an assembly of ‘old timers’ who had, at one time or other, been active in party matters at the division, state and national levels.

They had, in the past two to three years, asked to be a wing of the parent party, like the Youth and Wanita sections.

The veterans – which claimed to have as many as 800,000 members - had also proposed to the leadership for Umno and PAS to merge as a single entity to ensure a better future for the Malays and the Muslims in Malaysia.

Another group of former MPs, senators and state assembly has also formed Mubarak, which comprises largely of  veteran Umno members with a sprinkling of others from the various other parties.— Malaysian Mirror