SHAH ALAM - Former Umno Selangor chief Tan Sri Noh Omar has described the party under Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi's leadership as party that violates its own rules.
Noh said the Umno of today has disregarded its own constitution and that the current leadership does as it pleases as long as it serves their own interests.
"It's saddening when leaders like Khairy Jamaluddin, young figures like Umno deputy youth chief Shahril Hamdan and also Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Tun Hussein, who is a well-known leader and many more leaders with the courage to speak out have been suspended because the president does not want us, leaders who had voiced out our opinion for Umno future," he said in a statement posted on his instagram account on Saturday.
Noh also disputed the decision by Umno to suspend his membership for six years before the party issued an official statement stating that he had been sacked.
According to Noh, such decision should not have been made because he had already received a letter from the party's disciplinary board and has been summoned to face the board on Monday (Jan 30).
"Even before I was summoned, the decision was made to suspend me.
"It's better that I am fired instead of being suspended considering I don't want to in cahoots with Umno leaders or a president that seems to want to destroy Umno," he remarked.
Yesterday, Sinar reported thatthe Umno supreme council had decided to dismiss Noh, Khairy and a few other notable party leaders.
Several other leaders who were suspended from the party for six years were Sembrong MP cum former vice president Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein and former information chief Shahril Hamdan.
Former Umno Tebrau MP Datuk Maulizan Bujang and former Jempol MP Datuk Seri Mohd Salim Sharif also received the same fate.
The party also decided to dismiss five other members from Umno Pasir Gudang, nine members from Umno Putrajaya, two members from Umno Tanjung Karang and 26 members from Umno Pahang.
Meanwhile it was reported that Umno supreme council member Datuk Megat Zulkarnain Omardin had said that the decision to suspend Noh was not because of Noh's stance regarding the extra motion in the recent 2022 Umno General Assembly (PAU), but instead it was prompted by the 16 charges against Noh including his involvement in sabotaging Umno in the previous 15th General Election (GE15).
Megat, who is also Umno Selangor chief said Noh was given room to speak on the allegations including getting summoned to meet the disciplinary board twice.