KJ will not appeal against expulsion

Khairy Jamaluddin will not be appealing against his expulsion from Umno because he saw no point in doing so.

"Appealing means appealing against the same entity that has unilaterally and summarily executed me from the party so there is no point," he told BFM this morning.

Khairy (above) said he conferred with Noh Omar and Shahril Hamdan - who were also expelled and suspended by the party leadership respectively - before coming to this decision.

"Their (the leadership's) intent was on throwing us out (of the party) or keeping us in the sin bin," he said.

Further, according to Khairy, he was told about his sacking by his friends in the Umno supreme council, hours before he "officially" found out about it via social media.

He reiterated that his sacking, as well as the suspension of several other former colleagues, were unfair, as they were not served show-cause letters, nor given the chance to stand before the disciplinary committee to explain themselves.

On claims that he was sacked for alluding that Umno, under the leadership of president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, had lost its way, and for trying to paint himself as the "saviour", Khairy said he was merely trying to say there are "better days ahead" for the party.

"My point was not against the party or membership, but the leadership. I was not trying to run down the party, (I was just) giving hope to the people," he told presenter Shazana Mokhtar.

Double standards within party

Asked about why he was sacked while others were only suspended for committing similar, or more severe "offences", Khairy said that it was because Zahid needed the numbers in Parliament.

"The difference between (Sembrong MP) Hishammuddin (Hussein) and me is, I have no cache for Umno in Parliament. If Hishammuddin wasn't an MP, he would have been expelled as well.

"Zahid knows that he needs the numbers to prop up the government," he said, in reference to Zahid's position in Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim's government.

Last week, Hishammuddin was also suspended for six years.

Khairy, who is also former health minister, alleged that double standards exist within Umno, in terms of former premier Najib Abdul Razak still retaining his Umno membership despite his conviction in the SRC International case.

"The Umno constitution says that if you are charged in court, you have to vacate your position, but we know that was not adhered to in Najib's case, in his (capacity) as the Pekan Umno chief.

"Double standards exist within the party depending on the individual's support for the party's leadership, or use to the party."

Khairy stressed that he bore no personal grudges against Zahid, but just wanted Umno's top two positions to be opened for contest.

"I still consider him (Zahid) as a friend, perhaps he (Zahid) doesn't think so anymore. I just wanted an open contest because he presided over the most disastrous electoral outing for the party in the 15th general election (GE15).

"My point was very simple. If Pak Lah (Abdullah Ahmad Badawi) was asked to step down after losing two-thirds majority in Parliament, and if Najib was asked to step down after 2018, the very least you (Zahid) could have done if you don't want to step down is allow open contest." - Mkini