Why stop at hugging? Umno president Najib Abdul Razak and his party deputy Muhyiddin Yassin should also kiss each other.

Umno vice-president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi made this suggestion in jest when asked to comment on an ultimatum by a Penang delegate at the ongoing Umno general assembly that Muhyiddin and Najib should hug and make up or be replaced.

“Why just hugging? Kissing would be better,” quipped Zahid, to the amusement of media personnel covering his joint press conference with Umno vice-president Hishammuddin Hussein today.

Jokes aside, Zahid said what was more important than physical actions was sincerity.

“I think there shouldn’t be coercion when it comes to that matter.

“What’s important is that such (negative) actions are halted as a sign that togetherness still exists in the party's top leadership,” he said.

Asked on whether there was room for forgiveness for leaders who were now quarrelling with one another, Hishammuddin said there was always room for this but ultimately it depended on the particular individuals involved.

Asked whether investigations will be continued against those individuals once they apologise, he said such probes must be continued.

“This doesn’t have anything to do with apologising or otherwise and that too, if there is even going to be an apology,” he said.

Umno secretary-general Tengku Adnan Tengku Mansor yesterday confirmed that the Umno disciplinary board has commenced investigations into Muhyiddin’s speech made on Monday night.

Muhyiddin had, among others, said that Najib should go on leave pending investigations into his brainchild, 1MDB.