‘EXPULSIONS BASED ON UMNO CHARTER’
Zahid says those who take party matters to court will lose membership
THE move to expel 16 Umno members from five states for filing a judicial review to dissolve Umno at the Kuala Lumpur High Court on Friday was in accordance with the resolution in the Umno constitution and regulations.
Umno vice-president Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, who is discharging the duty of party deputy president, said this was because Umno members who filed a court application or action (against the party), would lose their membership.
“(Under) the Umno constitution, Umno members can’t take any issue concerning the party to the court, and if it is taken to court, the members concerned will be expelled from Umno.
“We suspect that their action was masterminded by the opposition.
“A study must be carried out to determine its validity,” he said here yesterday.
On Friday, 16 Umno members took legal action to challenge the validity of Umno as a political party for postponing the party election.
Zahid said the allegation was baseless as Umno had asked the Registry of Societies (RoS) to postpone the party’s elections until April next year.
He said this was because RoS had issued a postponement letter for the Umno election, and the directive should not have been challenged as it was an official decision.
“I believe the announcement on the candidates and the document to be made by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak in Umno’s name was according to the law and legally binding.”
In Putrajaya, Umno secretarygeneral Datuk Seri Tengku Adnan Tengku Mansor said the membership of the 16 had been terminated in accordance with Article 20.7 of the party’s constitution.
“I discussed this with lawyers yesterday (Friday). I will issue letters of termination for the 16 as they have breached the party’s constitution, which states that members are not allowed to take party matters to court.
“I know what is happening. This is part of a greater game by the opposition. They don’t know how to take care of their own party They have problems with RoS, and they want to drag us along.
“RoS allowed Umno to postpone its election until April 19 next year. If it didn’t approve this, we would’ve accepted its decision and held the party election, but in this case, it has given the green light (to postpone it).
“As Umno and Barisan Nasional (BN) the secretary-general, (I can say that) we have adhered to the rules set by RoS.
“The mastermind behind this are outsiders (opposition). They know they are weak and will lose (in GE14), so they use all sorts of way (to discredit Umno).”
Tengku Adnan said he did not foresee any problem for BN chairman Datuk Seri Najib Razak to sign the appointment letters for party candidates in GE14.
Umno information chief Tan Sri Annuar Musa said the 16 were traitors and opposition activists.
He said their action had made it easy for the party’s headquarters to take action, and their sacking meant that they did not have the authority and locus standi to be involved in Umno’s affairs.
“This process will cleanse the party from all the wolves in sheep’s clothing, thus making the party stronger.”