FORMER minister Rafidah Aziz told a crowd of 500 in Bangsar last night that she had a good laugh when she read reports on Umno giving her the boot.

“I was amused. I was having dinner with my daughter at the time. I did not want to respond immediately because I was really amused. So, I decided to wait.

“It was embarrassing… Sacking me probably earned him brownie points,” she said, referring to Umno secretary-general Tengku Adnan Tengku Mansor, who announced the sacking.

“These idiots do not know who are still members of Umno. I have not been paying my membership fees for so long. I stopped many years ago,” she said, to cheers from the crowd.

The former Wanita Umno head was among the key speakers at the election campaign event for PKR’s Lembah Pantai candidate, Fahmi Fadzil.

Rafidah is one of two former Umno veterans who have openly supported Pakatan Harapan.

Former finance minister Daim Zainuddin, too, has been sacked from the party.

The 74-year-old Rafidah told the crowd to vote for PH, so that it can undo the mistakes made by Barisan Nasional throughout the years.

“Give them a five-year contract. After the period has ended, check their report cards. If they have not performed, then change (the government).”

She said PH chairman Dr Mahathir Mohamad had always managed the country well.

She also shared her experience working with former leaders, such as Hussein Onn and Abdul Razak Hussein.

“I am not name-dropping. I worked with them. I was already in the cabinet at the age of 22.”

Bangsar falls under the Lembah Pantai parliamentary seat, where Fahmi is in a three-cornered fight against Raja Nong Chik Raja Zainal Abidin (BN) and Fauzi Abu Bakar (PAS). – May 7, 2018.