Umno vice-president Mohd Ali Rustam has urged his supporters to remain calm in the wake of the party's decision to bar him from contesting the deputy president's post for alleged money politics.

He also added that he accepted the decision made by Umno disciplinary committee yesterday, but maintained his innocence by denying any wrongdoing.

He has also filed an appeal to the party supreme council against the decision to stop him from contesting.

It is learnt that he has passed his appeal to the supreme council through party president Abdullah Ahmad Badawi this afternoon.

ali rustam pc 180309 However the Malacca Chief Minister has not met up with Abdullah today to discuss this matter.

He is also said to have given a copy of his appeal to the incoming president Najib Abdul Razak.

Earlier this morning, talking to reporters at his official residence in Malacca, Ali Rustam said he would be appealing to the party supreme council.

"I reiterate that I am not guilty (of money politics). I hope the supreme council will accept my appeal today. I hope my intention to contest will be allowed," he said.

The appeal is then expected to be forwarded to the party's appeal board and it is uncertain if the board can decide on the matter before party polls later this month.

Mohd Ali also said that he was thankful that he could continue as the chief minister. He added that he would continue to serve the government and Umno.

"After this, I will carry on work in the government and the party as usual, with the only difference being my inability to contest for the deputy president's post," he said.

Yesterday the party's disciplinary committee chairperson Tengku Ahmad Rithauddeen Tengku Ismail said Mohd Ali was disqualified from running for the post after three of his aides were found guilty of vote-buying.

He said that Mohd Ali's political secretary Saadun Basirun and two other agents were found guilty of being involved in vote buying.

No other details were however revealed. Saadun and the other two agents were suspended from the party for three years.

Mohd Ali's party membership however was not suspended.

Supporters met Abdullah

Following that a group of Mohd Ali's supporters had gathered at the Royal Air Force base in Subang last night to appeal to Abdullah to reconsider the decision.

The group, numbering some 150, was waiting for Abdullah's return from his official visit to Indonesia.

According to one Mohd Ali supporter, the premier had agreed to meet Mohd Ali today.

Earlier yesterday, another group of people had gathered in Ipoh - where Mohd Ali and other candidates were in a meet-the-delegates session - to show support to the embattled vice-president.

umno disciplinary committee ali rustam supporters protest at pwtc 170309 01 A smaller group of supporters had also protested when the decision to bar Mohd Ali was made at Umno headquarters in Kuala Lumpur yesterday.

Before the decision to bar Mohd Ali from contesting was made, the likeable candidate was seen by many as being able to score an upset by winning for the powerful deputy president's post.

His stars have been rising in recent weeks amongst the delegates and many had speculated that he would be able to knock off the other two candidates - vice-president Muhyiddin Yassin and information chief Muhammad Muhd Taib - to be incoming president Najib Abdul Razak's deputy.

Mohd Ali is reportedly to have the backing from outgoing PM Abdullah.

Standoff in Malacca

pkr pas umno ali rustam protest in melaka 180309 03 Meanwhile this afternoon a fracas broke out in Malacca between Ali Rustam's supporters and PKR members who had gone to the state Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission to lodge a report against the Umno vice-president.

Eye-witnesses told Malaysiakini that Umno supporters numbering about 50 had tried to stop the PKR Youth wing members from leaving the MACC office.

PKR Youth chief Shamsul Iskandar Mohd Akin who was in his car was also surrounded by the vocal Umno supporters.

pkr pas umno ali rustam protest in melaka 180309 01 A tense standoff was reported to have lasted for more than 15 minutes, Some 30 PKR supporters had come under siege from the Umno crowd.

A team of 40 police personnel soon arrived at the scene to disperse the crowd. No arrests were reported.

The only casualty was a shattered windscreen to Shamsul's car. He is expected to lodge a police report on that tomorrow.