KOTA TINGGI: Sacked Umno supreme council member Isham Jalil was dismissed from the party because he crossed the line by undermining the party's integrity.
Umno vice-president Datuk Seri Khaled Nordin said the decision had to be taken to maintain discipline within the party ranks as Isham's actions was deemed something which overstepped the limits.
Khaled said it was important for Umno to ensure that none of its members disrupted or undermine the party's integrity.
He said maintaining this integrity is achieved when every Umno member adheres to the party's decorum.
"It is a matter of discipline. Members of any political party, especially a significant one like Umno must ensure their actions do not jeopardise the party. The party cannot allow arbitrary statements to be uttered.
"Isham crossed the line. The Umno supreme council members felt that there were various appropriate channels and approaches he could have taken instead of doing what he did given his position in the council," said Khaled after the Kota Tinggi Development Planning Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signing ceremony between the Kota Tinggi District Council and Universiti Teknologi Malaysia's (UTM) Sultan Iskandar Institute here today.
Isham had today confirmed receiving an official letter of his sacking from the party.
In a text message with the New Straits Times, he shared that the official letter from Umno was signed by its secretary-general, Datuk Asyraf Wajdi Dusuki and sent via WhatsApp on Friday night.
In the letter addressed to Isham, the Umno Supreme Council had stated that his dismissal "was effective immediately under Clause 10.6 together with Clause 5.9 of the Umno Constitution due to his actions that violated Umno Member Ethics under Clause 20.9 (a), (b), (c), (d), (f) of the Umno Constitution together with Articles 3.1.1, 3.1.2, 3.1.3, 3.1.4, 3.1.6 of Members' Ethics."
Meanwhile, Khaled, who is the Higher Education Minister, also congratulated Johor Menteri Besar Datuk Onn Hafiz Ghazi on his appointment as Johor Umno Liaison Committee chairman.
"I believe that as a menteri besar who also serves as the state liaison chairman, there is a need to strike a balance to ensure strong support from the party towards the government, which could be translated into the implementation of policies."
Khaled, who previously held the position of Johor Umno Liaison Committee chairman, said he had no qualms about Onn Hafiz's appointment as it was the prerogative of the party president.
"It is indeed appropriate. Traditionally, in Johor, the menteri besar assumes the responsibility of state liaison chairman.
"After the 13th General Election, I assumed this role as I won the elections. Onn Hafiz wasn't part of the supreme council then. I knew my tenure as the state liaison chairman was temporary until the party president deemed it suitable for the menteri besar to take over," he said.