A group of Umno leaders in Jelutong are extremely angry with their state party secretary Azhar Ibrahim for speaking to the press about the purported demise of their branches.

NONEDuring an emergency two-hour press conference in Hotel Grand Continental in Penang late last night, the embattled leaders challenged Azhar (right) to prove that the branches were indeed deactivated when none of them had been notified of the closure by the party's supreme council,

The group insisted that the business of announcing division or branch closure was the duty of the top leadership, not a mere state information chief as Azhar.

According to the group, the state Umno had received a positive letter from the supreme council following recommendations from an investigative team from Kuala Lumpur which visited the branches in May last year.

The five investigation officers were said to be tasked by Umno president and Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak to ‘find out the truth' behind the suspension and allegations that the branches had no proper members lists.

Following their probe, the team had found only four out of the 17 suspended branches questionable, said the leaders.

"The other 13 were found to be in order as we have produced members with their identity cards to show that the members lists are proper," the leaders added.

No official notification

Persiaran Perak branch leader Idris Osman questioned Azhar's statement, saying that the Registrar of Societies where the branches were registered, did not officially notify its leaders about the closure.

The latest check at the registrar two months ago confirmed that the branches were still active, he added.

"It should be the party supreme council who issues this announcement, not Azhar. Who is he?" asked Idris sarcastically.

He was visibly upset with Azhar, who is the state opposition leader, and challenged the latter to produce evidence that the party's supreme council had indeed endorsed the closure of the controversial branches.

"We have not heard anything for about two years (since the branches were suspended). How come the issue suddenly crops up now?" he queried.

Taman Perak branch leader Mahadzir Mohd Mustaffa accused Azhar of conspiring with certain quarters to undermine the branches due to internal party struggles and the latter's ambition to consolidate his power before the coming party elections.

Mahadzir claimed that the branches had a total of 4,500 members, and 17 percent of them were registered voters. Each branch were said to have no less than 250 registered members.

"Azhar must visit the branches and see the situation for himself. This is a big issue as it foretells the future of Umno, not only in Jelutong, but the state as well, he added.

"Perhaps he does not want to show us proof (that our branches have been closed) but he should at least have called us and make the matter known to us," he stressed.

"We should not be merely asked to respect party leaders, they have to respect us as well."

Targeted for closure

Meanwhile, Jalan P. Ramlee branch leader Syed Feisal Syed Mohd claimed that the 13 were targeted for closure because its members allegedly supported the Pakatan Rakyat.

"We should not take action on these members without proof. Unless they were found to be speaking in PR ceramahs, carrying their banners and speaking against Umno, we cannot assume that they support the opposition," he said.

Earlier today, Azhar, who is Penaga (BN) assemblyperson, confirmed that the 13 branches were officially deactivated.

Azhar said the decision was made during Sunday's Barisan Nasional meeting in Penang.

He denied that the branches were re-activated after they were controversially suspended by the party in 2008.

He added that the members of the closed branches have all been absorbed into the other 25 branches.

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