Only president can sack organising secretary - Hamzah

Bersatu secretary-general Hamzah Zainudin today said the party's organising secretary Suhaimi Yahya will remain in his position unless sacked by party president Muhyiddin Yassin.

He said this in rejecting Suhaimi's termination letter issued and signed by Marzuki Yahya.

Marzuki was appointed by Mahathir as secretary-general and later sacked by Muhyiddin but has continued to insist that he still holds the position.

"Marzuki is no longer the secretary-general. I am the secretary-general.

"Until and unless the president sacks Suhaimi, he is still the organising secretary," said Hamzah during a press conference at the party’s headquarters today.

Hamzah pointed out that he was appointed by Muhyiddin as secretary-general on March 26, one week after Marzuki was dismissed from his secretary-general's post.

Marzuki had issued the letter to Suhaimi last night shortly after Suhaimi signed separate letters to notify former premier Dr Mahathir Mohamad and four others that their membership status has been automatically nullified on grounds that they had sat on the opposition bench during the May 18 Dewan Rakyat sitting.

All five (photo) had rejected the decision to nullify their membership and Mahathir earlier today said he has instead decided to sack Suhaimi from the position as Bersatu organising secretary for exceeding his powers.

"So, now Suhaimi is no longer the organising secretary. As such he no longer has the right to write any letter on behalf of the party or even use the Bersatu letterhead," Mahathir said at a separate press conference at the party headquarters earlier today.

Mahathir also said he has now appointed another party member, Shazmi Miah, as the new organising secretary to replace Suhaimi.

Given Mahathir's insistence that he remains to be Bersatu's chairperson, Hamzah said he remains welcome at the party headquarters.

"But if someone has already taken your room, would you just barge in? We have manners," he added.

He also reaffirmed that the Registrar of Societies has accepted Mahathir's resignation as Bersatu chairperson and recognised Muhyiddin as the acting chairperson.

Earlier, Hamzah reiterated Bersatu's disciplinary board chairperson Megat Najmuddin Megat Khas' views that all five of them were not sacked from the party but that their membership was nullified due to their own actions based on provisions in the party's constitution.

Prior to the May 18 Dewan Rakyat sitting, Hamzah said there were already disciplinary concerns raised against them, including Mahathir, but this was set aside after their own actions had led to the automatic nullification of their membership status.

Among others, Hamzah cited Mahathir's motion of no-confidence against Muhyiddin, as well as his appearance at a joint press conference with other Harapan leaders.

Bersatu had fractured into two after Muhyiddin took the party out of Harapan in February to form PN with Umno, BN and PAS. - Mkini