Umno members were told today not to jostle for posts in the party's powerful pro-tem committees which will be in place until party elections next year.

Umno secretary general Khalil Yaakob said it was up to the party's Supreme Council to determine who will fill in the positions in these committees.

These pro-tem committees will replace the party's 165 existing division leadership lineups , as well as for the 25 new divisions created following the redelineation of electoral boundaries.

The pro-tem committees were set up following a decision by the party leadership on July 31 to dissolve all Umno divisions and Umno Youth, Wanita Umno and Puteri Umno divisional committees as a result of the redelineation exercise.

Circular soon

National news agency Bernama quoted Khalil as saying that the Supreme Council, through the management committee chaired by Deputy President Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, will decide whether the office-bearers of the existing committees would be retained as pro-tem committees.

Khalil, also the information minister, however added that not all the office-bearers of the existing divisions may be retained.

"In accordance with the broad principle, the office-bearers of the existing divisions are to be retained. However, the management will take into account proposals opposing this," he was quoted as saying.

Khalil said that Umno would issue a circular to all the divisions and their three movements after the pro-tem committees had been agreed to by the Supreme Council.