KUALA LUMPUR: A total of 140 Umno division chiefs today expressed solidarity for the president’s position currently held by Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi not to be contested in the Umno elections expected to be held in May.

Representing the group, Wangsa Maju Umno Division chief Datuk Seri Dr Mohd Shafie Abdullah said the division heads also agreed  that the deputy president’s post should not be contested.

He said Umno’s current focus should be on strengthening the party  to face the six state elections expected to be held this year.

“A total of 126 Umno division chiefs were present tonight, although another 14 were absent as they were attending the 2022 Umno General Assembly (function tonight), all have agreed that the positions (president and deputy president) should not be contested.

“In order to face six more state elections this year, we need a strong Umno, so we hope the president (Ahmad Zahid) will take this view into account and that no top positions will be contested,” he said during a press conference here tonight.

Earlier, the meeting of the 126 division chiefs was held behind closed doors at a prominent hotel in the capital.

The 2022 Umno General Assembly, which is scheduled to take place from today until Saturday at the World Trade Center here, kicked off with the inauguration of the general assemblies of the Umno Wanita, Youth and Puteri wings by the party’s deputy president Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan.