No AGM winding-up speech either: I'm a 'stump'

Umno deputy president Muhyiddin Yassin has revealed that he has been barred from speaking at the party's general assembly during the winding-up session as well.

Following this decision, the Umno deputy president likened himself to a ‘stump’ (tunggul).

"I want to speak, but I have been informed I cannot speak. I am not allowed to speak at (the opening of) the Wanita, Puteri and Youth (AGMs).

"I have also been informed that I am not allowed to be involved in the winding-up session.

"So I can only sit on the stage like a stump," hMuhyiddin told journalists at the lobby of the Umno headquarters at the Putra World Trade Centre complex this afternoon.

Previously, Umno president Najib Abdul Razak had only announced that Muhyiddin would not be allowed to speak during the opening of the AGMs of the party's Wanita, Pemuda and Puteri wings.

'The grassroots can't voice out'

Muhyiddin lamented that even other delegates were allowed to speak but not him, despite being the second highest ranking member in the party.

"If (I) cannot speak, then the grassroots can't (voice out) as well. What will become of the pulse of Umno? Where is democracy in Umno?" he asked.

Nonetheless, Muhyiddin insisted that he would still turn up for the Umno AGM.

"God willing, I am still the (Umno) deputy president," he said.

He and Umno vice-president Shafie Apdal were in July dismissed from the government for their criticism of Najib's handling of 1MDB.

However, the two leaders have yet to be removed from the party after some Umno supreme council members opposed the move for fear that it may cause further division in the party.

Nonetheless, Muhyiddin has since been sidelined, with most of his major party functions stripped from him. -Mkini