UMNO will haul up its lawmakers who attended a meeting with PKR deputy president Azmin Ali at his residence last night.

The party’s disciplinary committee chairman, Mohamed Apandi Ali, said in a statement this morning that this meeting between Umno lawmakers and several PKR leaders was not sanctioned by the party leadership.

It was learnt that the meeting was between 22 Umno MPs and six of their PKR counterparts.

“The disciplinary committee has received several complaints on the meeting last night at the residence of the economic affairs minister (Azmin Ali).

“We will investigate this immediately in accordance with the party’s procedures and take the necessary action,” said Apandi.

The former judge and attorney-general said the disciplinary committee will carry out the investigations without fear or favour and in accordance with the Umno constitution.

The Malaysian Insight reported yesterday that the meeting at Azmin’s house in Putrajaya was believed to be for discussions on how to stop attempts to force Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad out of office, following Pakatan Harapan’s crushing defeat in the Tanjung Piai by-election on Saturday.

Among the Umno MPs at the meeting was Hishammuddin Hussein. 

The Sembrong MP and former Umno vice-president has been linked to efforts to get his party men to join PH and keep Dr Mahathir in power to deny PKR president Anwar Ibrahim the prime ministership. Hishammuddin denies these allegations.

The two-hour meeting ended at 11.30pm and those who left Azmin’s house kept mum on what was discussed.

Also seen leaving Azmin’s house were Housing and Local Government Minister Zuraida Kamaruddin and Deputy Transport Minister Kamaruddin Jaffar.

Ampang MP Zuraida is a staunch supporter of Azmin, while Kamaruddin is the PKR lawmaker for Bandar Tun Razak.

Since Barisan Nasional’s thumping victory in the Tanjung Piai by-election, pressure is increasing on Dr Mahathir to quit his post, with political observers blaming the 94-year-old PH chairman for the humiliating defeat.

Leading the call for the prime minister to step down was PKR veteran Syed Husin Ali, who tweeted that Dr Mahathir “knows what should be done”.

The long-time critic of Dr Mahathir said there should be no more delays in handing over the top job to PKR president Anwar Ibrahim.

Dr Mahathir had said yesterday that he expected Bersatu’s Karmaine Sardini to lose, but was surprised with the majority.

Barisan Nasional’s Wee Jeck Seng polled 25,466 votes, while Karmaine picked up 10,380.

Gerakan’s Wendy Subramaniam won 1,707 votes, Berjasa’s Badhrulhisham Abdul Aziz (850), and independents Ang Chuan Lock (380) and Faridah Aryani Abd Ghaffar (32). – November 19, 2019.