UMNO had no choice but to take action against leaders whose actions had only worked to weaken the party, Supreme Council member Puad Zarkashi said.

He said Khairy Jamaluddin and Hishammuddin Hussein’s actions were “extraordinary” and they had gone “too far”.

“Khairy’s sacking was pretty hard but necessary. If you truly love the party, kindly appeal,” he said in a Facebook post, adding that Hisham should wait out his six-year suspension unless he had decided to leave the party.

He said the “total clean-up” decided during Umno’s supreme council meeting last night was made in line with party president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi’s call during his presidential address at the 2022 Umno General Assembly, recently.

“The party must be brave against those who have daringly slandered us. Bersatu also sacked Dr Mahathir Mohamad and Mukhriz Mahathir.

“PKR also sacked Mohamed Azmin Ali, Tian Chua and Zuraida Kamaruddin. Nothing extraordinary,” he said.

Umno yesterday sacked Khairy and veteran leader Noh Omar, who the party accused of working against its interests.

Concurrently, Sembrong MP Hishammuddin Hussein and incumbent deputy Umno Youth chief Shahril Hamdan Suffian were suspended for six years.

Also suspended were former Jempol MP Salim Sharif and former Tiram assemblyman Maulizan Bujang.

Training his guns at Khairy, Puad said the former health minister openly criticised the party and its president during the general election campaign.

“The party was made out to be a ‘black sheep’. Why did KJ get sacked? He is just too much. Denigrating the party and the president during the campaign is outrageous. 

“His slander of phantom voters during the 2022 Umno general assembly had malicious intent,” he said.

Meanwhile, Puad said Hishammuddin played a vital role undermining the party after the election.

He said Hishammuddin’s acts were even “more extraordinary” than Khairy’s, including his incessant side-lining of Umno, bringing Umno MPs to Azmin’s residence, and calling for Sabah Umno chief to join Bersatu.

“The main mastermind behind BN MPs signing statutory declarations in support of Muhyiddin Yassin was Hishammuddin,” he said. 

Puad, who is Johor state speaker, also dismissed concerns that youths will turn away from Umno following the purge.

“How many youths did these leaders bring in to support Umno’s struggles?

“Was the decision democratic? It was decided under the recommendation of the Umno disciplinary board.

“It was not the president’s decision. This time the president brought the recommendation to the party’s Supreme Council.

“Usually, the Umno management committee chairman would bring the disciplinary board’s recommendation,” he said.

Puad also dismissed fears that the party would break with the purge, adding that this will be the narrative exploited by anyone who is unhappy.

“After Umno lost power in 2018, there were leaders that stayed away from Umno as they feared being seen with the court cluster.

“They were afraid of prosecution as the MACC had called them. They remained sitting outside the fence and stabbed the party from the back. Now they are sacked or suspended. What’s wrong if they once again sit outside the fence?” he added. – January 28, 2023.