Ahmad Ismail's Bukit Bendera bid delayed again

In an unexpected turn of events, the Bukit Bendera Umno division annual general meeting in Penang scheduled for this afternoon has been postponed without explanation.

Without any notice or announcement, reporters waiting at the Bayview Beach Resort were told by the hotel manager that the meeting had been shelved till the end of the month.

Penang Umno Liaison Committee chairperson Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, who officiated the Bagan division’s AGM yesterday has not offered any clarification on the matter either.

A source, who declined to be named, revealed that the meeting was postponed because the division’s plans to re-instate former Bukit Bendera division chief Ahmad Ismail (right) did not go down well with the party’s central leadership.

It is highly speculated that Ahmad’s planned return may have raised eyebrows amongst Barisan Nasional component parties especially Gerakan, added the source.

Gerakan is still sore with Ahmad, whose supporters tore up a picture of former Penang Chief Minister Koh Tsu Koon and shouted at reporters.

The incident took place in Nov 2008 after Ahmad urged BN leaders to expel Gerakan from the coalition.

Delegates surprised

One of the division's branch leader, meanwhile, said the delegates were surprised when told the meeting was shelved to another date.
 
"We have paid for everything - hotel meeting room, food, and even kompangs and bunga manggar to welcome the leaders," said the source, who declined to be named.
 
"But on Friday, we were told not to attend the AGM as the date has been postponed to a yet to be determined date," he added.
 
The branch leader also said that the order to cancel the meeting probably came from the state leadership, and that it may be related to the division's intention to recall Ahmad as their leader.
 
"Who can say 'no' to the state leadership? They are the ones who call the shots," he added.

Ahmad bangkit

Earlier this year, all thirty-six committee members of the Bukit Bendera Umno division had engineered Ahmad’s return by resigning en-bloc to force fresh division elections.       

Today’s meeting was expected to decide on the post of division chief, and it is speculated that Ahmad is the only nominee put up.

Neither Ahmad nor Bukit Bendera acting division chief Abdul Jalil Ariffin were available for comment.

Ahmad was suspended from Umno for three years following a public outcry after he called non-Malays pendatang (immigrants) during the Permatang Pauh by-election campaign in 2008.