The Semporna Umno division may have members who sometimes do not see eye to eye with its leader Mohd Shafie Apdal but such members are not penalised for their criticisms.

Shafie, who had officiated the Bentong Umno division annual general meeting in Pahang today, said that Semporna ( photo ) has 485 branches and sometimes witness more than 2,000 delegates in attendance during meetings.

"But praise be to God, they have followed the Shafie mazhab in the past five terms," he joked.

" Lawan ada (they criticise, yes,) but it's not a problem.

"But I have never sacked them," said Shafie, to the laughter of the 500 Bentong Umno delegates today.

The Shafie mazhab is one of the schools of thought in Sunni Islam, and dominant in Malaysia.

Shafie's remark is clearly a dig at Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak who had sacked him, together with former deputy prime minister Muhyiddin Yassin.

The duo had been vocal in criticising Najib's handling of the 1Malaysia Development Bhd (1MDB) fiasco.

I worked hard for Umno Sabah

Shafie in his speech also told the delegates present today how he had toiled in spreading Umno in Sabah.

"The challenges were great, until I was branded as anjing semenanjung (the dog from peninsular Malaysia).

"But praise to God how the party has grown in Sabah," he said.

Due to this, Shafie said it was especially unthinkable for him to be among those responsible in the alleged plot to topple the government.

"When my name was mentioned as being part of the plot. Nauzubillah (God forbid)...

"I was one of the founders of Umno (in Sabah). (I can't be) part of the plot," he said.

Deputy Prime Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi had said that there was an attempt to obtain the statutory declarations of opposition as well as Barisan Nasional (BN) MPs to topple the government using the "back door".

Former deputy prime minister Muhyiddin Yassin's name - as well as Shafie's - had cropped up as they were both critical of Najib, thus seen as possible candidates responsible behind the plot.