Saifuddin should have been aware of consequences, says Bersatu man

Bersatu information chief Tun Faisal Ismail Aziz says Saifuddin Abdullah, who was sacked yesterday, had breached the party's constitution.

Tun Faisal Ismail Aziz (left) said Saifuddin Abdullah had breached Bersatu’s constitution by disrespecting decisions made by the party and speaking out against it.

PETALING JAYA:

 Saifuddin Abdullah, who was sacked by Bersatu yesterday, should have been aware of the consequences of violating the party’s ethics and code of conduct, its information chief said.

Tun Faisal Ismail Aziz said the Indera Mahkota MP was, after all, a Supreme Council member.

Tun Faisal said Saifuddin had breached Bersatu’s constitution by disrespecting decisions made by the party and speaking out against it.

“In this matter, Saifuddin should have been aware of the repercussions of his actions,” he told FMT, referring to the former minister’s dismissal.

He said Saifuddin had been summoned by the disciplinary board and was given a chance to defend himself, adding that it was an opportunity he should have seized.

“If you waste this opportunity, the board will make a decision,” he said.

It was reported last night that Saifuddin had been expelled from Bersatu for violating Clause 9.1.4 of the party’s constitution. However, the exact nature of the offence was not specified.

Saifuddin was hauled up by the disciplinary board following his call for Bersatu president Muhyiddin Yassin, who was also the Perikatan Nasional chairman at the time, to resign.

Earlier today, Saifuddin said he had requested a new hearing, listing three demands, including for Muhyiddin to testify at the hearing.

He said that if these requests were met, he was prepared to cooperate with the disciplinary board.

Separately, Kepala Batas Bersatu chief Khaliq Mehtab Ishaq said the party’s decision to sack Saifuddin without due process contravened its constitution.

Violating such processes was no “small technical issue”, but one that concerned the validity of such decisions, he said.

Khaliq said it was clear the decision to give Saifuddin the boot was made without him being called to defend himself.

“And there is no way of hiding behind a broad interpretation of the party’s constitution to whitewash this (unconstitutional decision),” he said. - FMT