KUALA LUMPUR: Umno expelled five party members with immediate effect for various offences committed during the 13th general election.
They are Bahrim Abdullah of Kuala Pilah Umno Division; Abdul Mohsin Sharif and Mohd Amri Che Ad (Tasik Gelugor), Hasan Bahri Mat Isa (Jempol Palong 15) and Mohd Zulkifli Zakaria (Bachok).
Umno president Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak said the offences included being speakers and campaigning for the opposition and sabotaging Umno during the election.
"They have been informed. They have been given time to appeal. The disciplinary board will scrutinise the appeals," he told a news conference after chairing a meeting of the Umno Supreme Council at the Menara Dato Onn here.
Najib said any Umno member who contested as an independent in elections would be expelled and would not be reinstated.
He said Umno branch meetings would be held between April 1 and May 18 while the dates for the divisional meetings and the general assembly would be made known at the next supreme council meeting.
The prime minister said Umno's stand, as stated at its general assembly, was clear and firm that the party subscribed to the teachings of the Sunnah Wal Jamaah.
"Any deviant ideology opposed to the sunnah is totally rejected. This includes efforts to denigrate the hadith (sayings and actions) of Prophet Muhammad, which is the highest source of Islamic law after the Quran.
"This is in line with the principle of the Sunnah Wal Jamaah. We will adhere to that principle," he said.
Islamic scholar Dr Kassim Ahmad had, at a seminar titled The Thoughts of Kassim Ahmad: A Review in Putrajaya on Feb 15 and 16, reportedly accused a class of ulama (religious scholars) of controlling Islam in Malaysia through a 'priesthood caste' system.
He also questioned the use of the hadith to explain Quranic teachings, and said it was wrong for Muslims to beatify the Prophet as "he was just a messenger of Allah".
Dr Kassim had also reportedly questioned the wearing of the tudung (headscarf) by Muslim women, saying "the hair is not part of the aurat" (parts of the body which need to be covered). - Bernama
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