Muhyiddin suspended with immediate effect

KUALA LUMPUR: Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin has been suspended as Umno deputy president, dealing another blow for the Johor leader who was sacked from the Cabinet just seven months ago.

“A unanimous decision was taken by the party supreme council to suspend him with immediate effect,” said Umno secretary-general Datuk Seri Tengku Adnan Tengku Mansor.

“The suspension will be in effect until the next party polls,” he told reporters after the Umno supreme council meeting yesterday.

Umno’s party polls, which was supposed to take place later this year, was postponed by 18 months to allow the party to prepare for the general election.

The country’s former No. 2 has been on the warpath with party president Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak over his handling of the 1MDB controversy and the RM2.6bil political donation.

This suspension will not affect his position as Pagoh Umno chief.

It was learnt that vice-president Datuk Seri Shafie Apdal was also given a stern warning.

Muhyiddin did not attend the meeting yesterday. An aide said that he was overseas.

Tengku Adnan said the action against Muhyiddin was done in accordance to Article 9.8.2 of the Umno constitution which stated that the deputy president must assist the president in carrying out his duties.

“In Muhyiddin’s case, he did not discharge his obligations as required under the party constitution,” he added.

Tengku Adnan said Najib and vice-president Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi excused themselves from the meeting after the motion for suspension was tabled.

Vice-president Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Tun Hussein was then appointed to chair the committee to debate the motion.

Muhyiddin, Tengku Adnan said, was invited yesterday morning via fax to attend the meeting.

“However, he replied also by way of fax that he would not be coming,” he said, adding that his absence should not be construed as him not being given a chance to defend himself.

He said Dr Ahmad Zahid would assume duty as acting deputy president.

Despite speculation that there would be a commotion over what would happen to Muhyiddin, everything went smoothly with few of his supporters seen at PWTC where the meeting was held.