An internal Umno meeting sidelining Umno deputy president Muhyiddin Yassin, who was supposed to chair the discussions slated for tomorrow, has been postponed.

A party source told Malaysiakini that the abrupt postponement of the party's General Election Coordination and Operations Centre (GCOC) war room meeting was conveyed to party leaders by Umno headquarters officials yesterday evening.

"No reason was given for the postponement of the meeting," the source said.

Yesterday, Malaysiakini reported that Muhyiddin was being sidelined from the party, by way of a letter issued on Thursday that announced the GCOC war room meeting would be chaired by Deputy Prime Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, who is only an Umno vice-president.

By convention, the GCOC war room meeting is chaired by the Umno deputy president, who currently is Muhyiddin.

Umno sources also told Malaysiakini that this was not the only party function he was stripped from chairing as Umno deputy president. Muhyiddin was also removed from chairing the pre-Umno supreme council meeting discussions.

Muhyiddin was dismissed as deputy prime minister, on July 28, for being critical of Najib's handling of the debt-ridden state fund 1MDB.

Umno vice-president Shafie Apdal, who has been equally critical on the 1MDB issue, was also removed as a minister.

The two of them have defended their criticism of 1MDB, stating that they raised valid questions, and have pledged to remain loyal to Umno despite being jettisoned from the cabinet.