Umno veteran and former minister Rais Yatim appears unperturbed by news today of his sacking from the party for campaigning for Pakatan Harapan in the 14th general election.
When asked for his response and his next step, he appeared jovial, saying he has not received any official word of the matter from the party.
“I am still mulling over the situation with an open mind. I haven’t received any show-cause letter or the termination of membership.
“But in my view, my legal assessment, Umno is already a non-entity, because of the violation of article 10 of its constitution.
That being the case, this letter (of termination) has no consequence to me, legally,” he told Malaysiakini when contacted.
“Although Umno lawyers will shout to the sky and say otherwise, it’s okay with me.
“What is material in my view is the lack of conviviality. Phone calls perhaps would have been in order, from one of those big prefects.
“None came, what can I do? They are big wigs, big guns, running the party and government. But as far as I can see, in (contravening) article 10, Umno is the non-entity, having violated that provision,” said the veteran Umno politician.
He was referring to Umno’s failure to abide by its constitutional requirement to hold party elections by the stipulated extension ddeadline April 19, after which critics say the party would automatically be rendered illegal.
Following the fiasco, Umno leaders received a lifeline from the Registar of Societies (ROS) with a further extension, which has been panned an abuse of the registrar’s powers.
Umno secretary-general Tengku Adnan Tengku Mansor was reported telling the media today he issued a directive to terminate the memberships of heavyweight party veterans Rais, Daim Zainuddin and Rafidah Aziz yesterday.
This follows his warning that party veterans found campaigning for Harapan would face the sack, referring to the trio appearing on Harapan’s ceramah stage.
To support anti-kleptocrats
When asked if he has been approached by other parties following his purported sacking, he said friends from Harapan, PAS, even from his legal profession, have contacted him.
However, he said he would be spending more effort to help those who fight “kleptocracy”, possibly referring to Harapan.
“I am now free to express my views on a wider platform.
“I am focusing more on the problems faced by the system of rule of law in this country, and against the system of kleptocracy, which we have been talking about, and the transparencies of government and public affairs. I am very interested in these things.
“I would definitely lend support to any entity that goes along those lines for a reasonable future for Malaysia,” he said.
“I will go on the ceramah (circuit) in these few days, wherever I can be, I would lend supports to these kinds of disposition,” he added.
Rais said his sacking is nothing new, having been dismissed from the party once in 1987, after which he joined the short-lived splinter Semangat 46.
“I became number two in Semangat 46, so it’s like a deja vu to me.
“But this time it is different. Because to me, legally, Umno is a non-entity,” he repeated.
MKINI
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