KUALA LUMPUR: A supreme council member of Bersatu has questioned the transparency and integrity of the party’s disciplinary process after he was dismissed without what he described as a fair hearing.
Datuk Zulkifli Bujang, who is also the Johor Baru division chief, said he only received the summons to appear before the party’s disciplinary board while he was overseas on a pre-scheduled engagement.
"I immediately requested for a new date to be fixed so that I could return to Malaysia and provide my explanation in person," he said in a statement on Saturday (Feb 14).
However, Zulkifli said the party proceeded with the decision to expel him without convening any disciplinary hearing or giving him reasonable space to defend himself.
The dismissal was formally communicated to him via a letter sent through WhatsApp late on Friday evening.
He said the manner in which the decision was made raised serious concerns about due process within the party, particularly the role of the disciplinary board, which he said should function as an independent and impartial body.
"The disciplinary board, which is supposed to uphold fairness and integrity, now appears to be used as an instrument to serve the agenda of certain groups within the party," he said.
Zulkifli further claimed that the episode reinforced public perception of the existence of a cartel exerting influence over key strategic decisions within the party for specific political objectives.
Despite his objections, he said he would respect the decision made by the party leadership.
"Nevertheless, I am of the view that this mass expulsion is an immature move and does not reflect the true spirit of democracy," he said.
Zulkifli was among 17 dismissed from Bersatu, which included party deputy president Datuk Seri Hamzah Zainuddin along with three other MPs following disciplinary action.
