With the Hulu Selangor by-election taking up everyone's attention, controversial Umno leader Ahmad Ismail (right) will have to wait a little while longer before he can get back to the helm of the Bukit Bendera division.

ahmad ismail umno bukit bendera The former Umno Bukit Bendera division chief was suspended from Umno in 2008 for allegedly saying that the Malaysian Chinese are only "passengers" in the country.

Incumbent division chief Abdul Jalil Ariffin said the Umno Penang state liaison committee was supposed to meet to discuss the exco members' request for an extraordinary general meeting (EGM), but will now have to wait until the by-election ends on April 25, noting that no date has yet been set.

The Bukit Bendera division is calling for fresh elections to replace the entire division exco, which resigned on 29 March, 2010 to pave the way for Ahmad's return.

Efforts to bring him back started in December 2009 after the party's supreme council decided to retract his 3-year suspension.

Abdul Jalil said they expect the 226 delegates and 26 branches under the division to support Ahmad's return.

"Hopefully it will all be settled within five or six months," Abdul Jalil said.