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KUALA LUMPUR – There will be an explanation given following the sacking and suspension of several high-profile Umno leaders, said party president Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi.
In his teaser, he said he will provide answers in an event on the “cleansing” that his party is going through.
However, he did not provide more details or timeline of such an event, reported Berita Harian.
“Wait, I’ll answer. I’ll answer in an event later,” he briefly said after attending a Federal Territories Islamic Religious Council event at Dataran Merdeka here.
Last night, former Umno Youth chief Khairy Jamaluddin was given the boot from the party as part of an internal purge, ending weeks of speculation about his fate.
Another high-profile member, Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein, who once served as the party vice-president, was given a six-year suspension.
Six-year suspensions were also handed out to several other bigwigs, including former Umno information chief Shahril Sufian Hamdan, former Jempol MP Datuk Seri Mohd Salim Mohd Sharif, and Tebrau division chief Datuk Maulizan Bujang, according to the source.
The actions taken by the party, which were announced by Zahid during the Umno Supreme Council meeting, were based on recommendations made by the disciplinary board.
Later Umno secretary-general Datuk Seri Ahmad Maslan announced that a total of 42 Umno members were expelled with immediate effect, of which five are from the Pasir Gudang division, nine from Putrajaya, two from Tg Karang, and 26 from Pahang.
Previously, Khairy, who lost the Sg Buloh parliamentary seat in the federal polls, had called for Zahid’s resignation after Umno suffered its worst electoral performance since its formation, while accusing the party of losing its way and needing “internal cleansing”.
He was also among those who opposed the decision to leave the top two posts uncontested, and had alleged that “ghost delegates” were brought into the party’s recent general assembly to bulldoze the no-contest motion.
Hishammuddin, meanwhile, is said to have led a separate faction against Zahid within Umno, and was one of the 10 Barisan Nasional MPs who previously declared support for Perikatan Nasional chairman Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin as prime minister, following the conclusion of the 15th general election. – The Vibes, January 28, 2023