'Iron Lady' Rafidah Aziz And Two More UMNO Veterans Sacked For Supporting Pakatan Harapan
UMNO secretary-general signed the letters to expel the trio.
By Sadho Ram — 06 May 2018, 11:34 AM
Three UMNO veterans, Tan Sri Rafidah Aziz, Tun Daim Zainuddin, and Tan Sri Rais Yatim, have been sacked from the party for supporting Pakatan Harapan in the 14th General Election (GE14)
According to a report in The Star Online, UMNO secretary-general Datuk Seri Tengku Adnan Tengku Mansor signed the letters to expel the three former ministers.
"I was at the UMNO headquarters yesterday (4 May) and signed the letters to withdraw their membership," Tengku Adnan was quoted as saying on Friday, 5 May.
"According to the party's constitution, they as UMNO veterans should know their actions were wrong when they give ceramah on the Opposition's stage.
"What saddens me is that when they were with us, we always supported them. And it’s not like they didn’t have problems," the UMNO secretary-general said while expressing exasperation at the trio's attacks against the party, reported MalayMail.
Rafidah, who was the international trade and industries minister, and Daim, who was the finance minister during Dr Mahathir's premiership, have been actively campaigning for Pakatan Harapan
In all, the sacked trio, who were ministers at one time or another during Dr Mahathir's administration, has recently been speaking out against UMNO and Barisan Nasional.
Reacting to the sacking, Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein, who is the senior UMNO vice-president, said that the decision by UMNO to sack the former leaders was right.
"Which party will allow their members to share the same stage as the opposition and hurl abuses at their own party? Even if the action has not been taken, I would myself ask that the three be sacked.
"By their actions, it is clear that they are not with us. So I am not apologetic that they were given the boot, because it's a fair and appropriate action against them," Hishammuddin was quoted as saying by theSun, according to MalayMail.
However, Rais Yatim claims that UMNO being a non-entity, due to the violation of article 10 of its constitution, the sacking has no consequence on him. "Although UMNO lawyers will shout to the sky and say otherwise, it's okay with me," Rais told Malaysiakini.
"I am now free to express my views on a wider platform.
"I am focusing more on the problems faced by the system of rule of law in this country, and against the system of kleptocracy, which we have been talking about, and the transparencies of government and public affairs. I am very interested in these things.
"I would definitely lend support to any entity that goes along those lines for a reasonable future for Malaysia.
"I will go on the ceramah in these few days, wherever I can be, I would lend support to these kinds of disposition," Malaysiakini quoted the former minister as saying.
Daim, too, claimed that UMNO has no formal power to sack as they had broken the party's constitution by delaying its elections
"Umno is an illegal society. It does not matter (that I'm sacked)," he said.
Daim and Rafidah are pictured during a ceramah at Taman Bukit Piatu Mutiara, Melaka.
Image via Yusof Mat Isa/MalayMail