Zulfikar Zulkifli, a spokesman for the branches comprising about 10,000 members, claimed that many members were transferred to other branches without being informed, rendering them ineligible to vote in the elections.

According to The Borneo Post, he also claimed that the lists of candidates for certain branches were altered without their knowledge.

Zulfikar said reports were lodged with the central and state Umno leadership but no action has been taken.

“We are urging the RoS to investigate this matter immediately as I believe that it is a criminal offence and we want to identify the perpetrators,” he said.

He said he remained loyal to Umno but the matter needed to be resolved so the Kota Kinabalu division can focus on serving the people.

“We are not asking for special treatment. We just want a re-election to be carried out fairly, according to the rules and laws of our country,” he said.