Former Terengganu menteri besar Ahmad Said started his speech at the Kemaman Umno division annual general meeting today by welcoming former deputy premier Muhyiddin Yassin to an exclusive club.

"Welcome to the ' orang terbuang ' club (club for rejects)" he told Muhyiddin, to which delegates laughed and cheered.

He then turned to deputy Kemaman chief Ahmad Shabery Cheek and cheekily congratulated him for still being in the cabinet.

Ahmad was removed as Terengganu menteri besar last year, while a cabinet reshuffle two weeks ago saw Muhyiddin dropped and Shabery transferred to the Agriculture and Agro-Industries Ministry.

"I didn't know there was such a club. I haven't filled in my form to enter it yet," Muhyiddin ( photo ) said in reply during his speech later.

Ahmad who is the Kemaman Umno chief, was addressing delegates for the first time since he was removed from office last year.

He had taken a year-long break, and skipped last year's division meet, leaving Shabery in charge.

'Najib regretted removing me'

"Thank you to my deputy who has had to shoulder this burden while I was out injured.

"If this was football, I would be the striker. [...] I had an advantage but was tackled from behind.

"But if you're afraid of getting injured in football, don't play. And if you're afraid to play politics, don't live by the seaside," he said, to cheers from the audience.

Ahmad's removal from the Terengganu government last year sparked a mini-crisis, when he decided to quit Umno, before changing his mind.

He said his decision to quit was because Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak forced him to step down before his daughter's wedding reception.

Ahmad ( photo ) had said this hurt his reputation, but he cooled down after Najib apologised.

One year on, however, he still appeared sore for being removed, and talked about his removal throughout his speech today.

But Ahmad seems vindicated now, and claimed Najib had regretted the decision.

"The prime minister told me, 'Mat, I was wrong to force you to quit'," he said, adding he was willing to swear on this.