The Umno supreme council meeting tomorrow will decide the fate of Khairy Jamaluddin and other Umno members who had allegedly sabotaged the party in the recent general election, said Ahmad Zahid Hamidi.
The Umno president told reporters this evening that it would be part of the party's clean-up operation, as what had been promised during the party's annual general meeting (AGM) two weeks ago.
"Individually, he (Khairy) is not important. As I said during the recent AGM, we will conduct a massive clean-up exercise against members who sabotaged the party and those who shot themselves in the foot in the recent general election," he said during a press conference in Putrajaya.
Zahid was responding to a question about whether the Umno supreme council in its meeting scheduled tomorrow is set to discuss disciplinary action against Khairy, who is an ardent critic of the Umno president.
Khairy, who is a former Umno Youth chief, had recently praised Umno members who had filed a report with the Registrar of Societies (ROS) over the move to ensure that the party’s top two posts remain uncontested in the upcoming polls.
Zahid however declined to reveal how many party members have been identified as saboteurs so far.
"When I said we will do it on a big scale, it means there are others, InshaAllah. So, whoever feels that they have done wrong, or are not feeling anything yet, will feel it tomorrow.
"But I cannot tell you how many now. It won't be a strategy if I were to reveal it to the media. I have to embargo all the information until the time comes (for me to announce)," he added.
Differences of opinion
In an immediate response, Khairy posted a statement on his Instagram Story saying that having differences of opinion with party leadership is not equal to disloyalty to the party.
"Having differences in view with party leadership and calling for all to respect the process of democracy does not mean disloyalty to the party.
"Umno belongs to all party members. Not only the supreme council," he posted.
Earlier, Khairy also reiterated his loyalty to Umno and rejected Perikatan Nasional and PAS' offer for him to join them.
"I thank PAS for the offer to join PN but I am still loyal as an Umno member," he said, as quoted by Berita Harian.
This came after PAS vice-president Ahmad Samsuri Mokhtar reportedly said PN and PAS were willing to accept any political leader or individual in their fold if they shared the same agenda for the rakyat, when asked whether the coalition would accept Khairy if he gets kicked out of Umno.
Meanwhile, during the presser, Zahid was also asked to comment on PAS Ulama Council's statement alleging that he had twisted PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang's recent statement about giving charity during the election.
To this, the deputy prime minister gave a sarcastic response.
"Yes... We do not have money for sedekah (giving alms). So please do distribute alms using money which comes from unknown sources," he chided.
Adding further, Zahid said the MACC chief had given a clear statement that a bribe is still a bribe, regardless of whatever name is given to describe such an act.
"The statement by the MACC chief has to be used as a guide: that whatever form of charity given during the election campaign, and whatever term used to describe the act, it is still political corruption. Even when you call it sedekah.
"This is not twisting facts. This is from a written official statement by the MACC chief," he told reporters. - Mkini
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