Penang Umno leader Khairuddin Abu Hassan, who shot into the limelight over his police report against 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB), has reportedly been sacked from his party post.

 

Khairuddin ( below ), who is the Batu Kawan Umno vice-chairperson, said he received the news from his friends who had heard it on the new s .

 

“I have not been informed at all. My friends said the news was on TV3 ,” he told Malaysiakini yesterday.

When asked if the move could be related to his police report made last December, he said, “I dare not speculate.”

“But why wasn’t I given a show cause letter and why wasn’t I called to the Umno headquarters so that I can give my explanation?” he asked.

It is understood that the move was taken after the Insolvency Department declared him bankrupt.

Nevertheless, he remains an Umno member and is eligible to attend the party’s meetings although he can no longer be appointed for posts.

 

When contacted, Penang Umno liaison committee chief Zainal Abidin Osman refused to confirm or deny the news.

 

“There is a letter from Umno secretary-general Tengku Adnan Tengku Mansor to Umno Penang’s secretary Musa Sheikh Fadzir on this matter, so it’s only proper to let Musa brief the press,” he said, adding that the press conference is likely to be this weekend.

'No chance to explain?'

Separately in a statement last night, Khairuddin expressed his dissatisfaction over the move as his debt problems were in the process of being solved.

Although he said he was “not surprised” by his dismissal, Khairuddin said he found it “strange” that the party did not call him for his explanation on the current position of his insolvency case.

Khairuddin nevertheless stressed he will continue to fight in “upholding the truth and fighting corruption”.

“I am steadfast in my struggles. For the rakyat’s interests, I will continue fighting although I have to face all kinds of political pressure,” he said.

The Umno man who plans to leave for Mecca today said he will explain his status to the party after he is back from the trip.

Khairuddin raised eyebrows when he lodged his police report against Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak’s pet project, which has been mired in controversy over its business activities and debt situation.

Later this morning, Umno in a statement confirmed that Khairuddin has been relieved of his post because of his bankruptcy.

Musa ( right in photo ) confirmed that Penang Umno had received a copy of a letter from the Umno headquarters to Khairuddin in relation to him being sacked from his party post.

“His sacking is in accordance to the Umno constitution and the party’s assembly rules.

“It is also in accordance to the Societies Act 1966 - which states that an undischarged bankrupt cannot hold any posts in an organisation,” he noted.

Khairuddin was declared bankrupt by the courts on May 24 last year and a report on his bankruptcy was made at the Umno headquarters, said Musa.

“However, he remains an Umno member and he can attend the annual general assemblies at the division level of which he is a member of,” he stressed.