Zahid: Umno chiefs to study evidence about seven critics

Up to secretary-general to gather information for party's top management, says vice-president

KOTA BARU: The Umno secretariat will gather sufficient evidence on seven leaders said to have openly criticised the party, vice-president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said today.

He said the evidence would be presented to the party’s top management, either the Disciplinary Committee, Presidential Council or directly to the Supreme Council.

“I leave it to the secretary-general (Tengku Adnan Mansor) to gather all the details on the individuals he mentioned,” Ahmad Zahid told reporters after a party event here today.

More than 2,000 Umno members attended the meet-the-people session. With Ahmad Zahid was vice-president Hishammuddin Hussein, information chief Ahmad Maslan and Kelantan Umno chairman Mustapa Mohamed.

Tengku Adnan was reported as saying that a special committee was investigating the seven Umno leaders over their open remarks that could affect the party.

Ahmad Zahid was also asked to comment on remarks by former information minister Zainuddin Maidin yesterday who said deputy president Muhyiddin Yassin should not be dismissed from the post of deputy president because he was elected by the general assembly. However, his sacking as an Umno member would cause him to automatically lose all his party posts.

Zahid said he respected Zainuddin’s views but it was up to the party leadership whether to accept his analysis in the form of action.

“I am sure that are many more opinions that are similar or different and we have to study all these opinions,” he said.

Ahmad Zahid said unity among Umno members was very important to enable the party to continue at the helm of the leadership of the country.

– BERNAMA