PUTRAJAYA: Sixteen Umno members who have challenged the legality of the party have been sacked with immediate effect.
Umno secretary-general Datuk Seri Tengku Adnan Tengku Mansor said the membership of the 16 had been automatically terminated in accordance with Article 20.7 of the party’s constitution for bringing internal issues to court.
“I have discussed with the lawyers yesterday (Friday). I will issue letters of termination for these 16 people as they had breached the party’s constitution that stated that members are not allowed to take party’s matters to court.
“I know what is happening. This is part of a greater game by the opposition. They don’t know how to take care of their own party and they are the ones who have problems with the Registrar of Societies (RoS), and now they want to drag us along.
“RoS had allowed Umno to postpone its election until April 19 next year. If RoS did not approve this, we would accept its decision and would have held the party’s election, but in this case, it has given the green light (to postpone it).
“As the secretary-general for both Umno and Barisan Nasional (BN), we have adhered to the rules set by the RoS,” he said after launching the groundbreaking of multi-level parking building ceremony at Phase 4B Neighbourhood in Presint 8, here.
He said the 16 Umno members were believed to be opposition moles and he knew the mastermind behind the plot.
“The mastermind behind this is the outsider (opposition), they know they are weak and will lose again (in GE14), so they use all sorts of way (to discredit Umno).
“The problematic ones are Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia, Parti Keadilan Rakyat and DAP. Umno and BN has no issues at all as we comply with the rules set by RoS.
“In fact, yesterday we received the BN candidates screening results from Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC), Insolvency Department and the police. The opposition did not even bother to send their candidate lists for screening,” he said, adding that the 16 sacked Umno members were wolves in sheep’s clothing.
Tengku Adnan, who is also Federal Territories Minister, said he did not foresee any problem for BN chairman Datuk Seri Najib Razak to sign the appointment letters for the party candidates in GE14.
It was reported that the 16 Umno members were asking the court to compel the RoS to provisionally dissolve Umno and for RoS to suspend all Umno’s activities until the judicial review is completed.
The applicants are also seeking a declaration that all Umno branches and divisions and the supreme council do not have legal effect, and should be dissolved effective April 20.
The applicants are also seeking a certiorari order to cancel any decision by RoS, which allowed an extension of time for the Umno elections at all levels.
The 16 are arguing that the last day for Umno branches to hold their elections was on Feb 28 and the last day for the supreme council and 191 divisions to function was Thursday (April 19).