Pagoh Umno deputy chief Ismail Mohamed launched a broadside against Umno vice-president Hishammuddin Hussein and other Johor Umno leaders for allowing Muhyiddin Yassin to be suspended as Umno deputy president.
"I am saddened that a Johorean was asked to chair a meeting to expel another Johorean.
"Congratulations Hishammuddin and other Johorean supreme council members for allowing yourselves to become scapegoats," he told Malaysiakini in a text message.
The Umno supreme council meeting today was chaired by Hishammuddin, after Umno president Najib Abdul Razak and Umno deputy president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi left the meeting to avoid conflict of interest.
The council then decided to suspend Muhyiddin with immediate effect over his open criticism of Najib and his scandals.
Muhyiddin, who was Johor menteri besar from 1986 to 1995, is Pagoh MP and also Pagoh Umno chief.
Muhyiddin had criticised Najib over the RM42 million from state-owned SRC International and US$681 million from an offshore company that went into prime minister's personal bank accounts.
Removed as deputy prime minister by Najib in July last year, he also blasted attorney-general Mohamed Apandi Ali for lacking courage to prosecute the case.
Umno supreme council member Abdul Aziz Kaprawi, a Johor leader, downplayed the impact of the decision on Johor Umno.
"Even the Johor menteri besar have stated in previous meetings that we respect the decision of the attorney-general (not to prosecute).
"This is not a Johor issue. This is about (Umno) members throughout the country," he said.
He said the Umno constitution dictates that any member who breaches party discipline must be held responsible.
"The duty of the Umno deputy president is to assist the president. If the deputy president does not follow the party constitution, then the party will be destroyed," he said.
Hishammuddin, after chairing the supreme council meeting which decided to suspend Muhyiddin, said the decision was made on consensus.
"My personal wish is that the decision that we made in consensus will help us to move forward," he said.
He said moving forward without having to be questioned was essential in Umno's bid to focus on engaging the rakyat. -Mkini
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