KUALA LUMPUR - Former Malaysia health minister Khairy Jamaluddin has been sacked from his party Umno, while former defence minister Hishammuddin Hussein has been suspended, according to party sources.
Mr Hishammuddin, a former party vice-president, and former Umno information chief Shahril Hamdan were among a handful of members suspended for six years, according to a source who spoke to Malaysian daily The Star on condition of anonymity.
The meeting at Menara Datuk Onn was closely watched by political observers amid mounting speculation that disciplinary action would be taken against the former Rembau MP Khairy.
His party membership was in question after his recent claims that “imported delegates” were “brought in” at a recent Umno general assembly to manipulate voting.
The assembly voted that there would be no contest for the party’s two top posts at the upcoming party polls.
The former Umno youth chief said on Thursday he is ready to face any action, including sacking.
“Of course I’m prepared for anything. This is politics after all – you don’t go into politics not being prepared for any eventuality,” Mr Khairy said.
Mr Khairy contested the Sungai Buloh parliamentary constituency at last year’s general election, which saw a seven-cornered fight.
The former three-term Rembau MP lost to Pakatan Harapan’s Ramanan Ramakrishnan.
Earlier, Umno, a key member of the country’s current unity government, sacked its former Selangor division chief Noh Omar, the first of several members disciplined at an ongoing meeting on Friday night.
Mr Noh Omar had said that it was “better to sack me than suspend me” when he was told of the party’s decision to suspend him for six years.
“Tonight is historic for me. The party president (Malaysia deputy prime minister Zahid Hamidi) in his address at the Umno supreme council meeting announced that a few members would be sacked and suspended.
“All of a sudden, I heard my name being announced that I was to be suspended for six years,” he told reporters after leaving the ongoing Umno supreme council meeting at Menara Datuk Onn in Kuala Lumpur on Friday night.
He questioned the decision made by the party president as he has yet to be hauled up before the party’s disciplinary board.
“He (Zahid) told me to see the disciplinary board this coming Monday. What sort of ‘jungle law’ is this?” a visibly shaken Noh said after storming out of the meeting.
Mr Noh said that he then requested to be sacked, which was accepted by Zahid.
“He accepted my suggestion. If I was not sacked, I would not be here speaking to the media,” he added.
On Thursday, Zahid said that the party will be seeking a “mass cleansing”, including “saboteurs” and those who have “shot themselves in the foot”.
Earlier this month, Mr Noh said he fears for Umno’s chances in the six coming state elections following the party’s decision not to contest its top two posts at upcoming party polls.
An Umno general assembly saw delegates support a motion to ensure there will be no challenge to party president Zahid and his deputy Mohamad Hasan at Umno elections which must be held by May 19.
Mr Noh pointed out that Umno had given the same reason when amending its constitution last year to postpone the party polls until six months after last November’s general election.
“In the end, Umno won only 26 seats. Now, Umno is facing six state elections and the same excuse is being used (for the no-contest motion), that is, to prevent a split in the party,” he wrote on Facebook.
“I am concerned that voters in these six states will reject Umno candidates.”
Mr Noh resigned from his Umno post a day after the general election, saying that he had lost confidence in Zahid’s leadership following Barisan Nasional’s poor showing at the polls, in which it won just 30 seats.
https://www.straitstimes.com/asia/s...s-been-sacked-from-umno-as-khairy-awaits-fate
