In denouncing his suspension from the Umno deputy president’s post, Muhyiddin Yassin said the supreme council did not even suspend him using the proper procedures.

The veteran Umno leader pointed out how he was not given a show-cause letter, nor was he given the time to defend himself.

“I was not brought before the disciplinary committee. Even normal members are given the chance to defend themselves but I was immediately punished.

“It seems that the supreme council simply could not wait to suspend me," he said in a statement today.

Nevertheless, Muhyiddin said he will not appeal his suspension.

Commenting on his suspension, Muhyiddin admitted that he was not surprised with the decision, pointing out how he was prevented from doing his job as Umno deputy president after he was ousted from the cabinet.

“I was blocked from attending party programmes. My supporters were threatened. And for the first time in history, a deputy president was prevented from speaking at the general assembly."

True blue party man

In his six years as the party number two, Muhyiddin stressed how he has never neglected his responsibilities in assisting the president.

“I led the Barisan Nasional machinery every time there was a by-election and worked hard to ensure a BN win.

“With the victories, the president, as the leader of the party, remains as the prime minister. Doesn't that mean that I had helped the president?"

Adding that he was responsible to forward the views of party members, Muhyiddin added that all he had done previously were to ensure the party continues to be accepted by the rakyat.

“Yesterday, history was made when a deputy president who was elected was suspended with immediate effect for reprimanding the president.

“It seems that the voice of the supreme council supersedes the voice of the party members who chose me as deputy president," he said.

The voice of the majority, stressed Muhyiddin, was disregarded arbitrarily by the supreme council just to defend an individual who was implicated in an “embarrassing” corruption scandal.

Muhyiddin was yesterday suspended from the post of Umno deputy president, which came into immediate effect.

The suspension came as no surprise, however, as he has been increasingly vocal in criticising Najib after the latter sacked him from the deputy prime minister’s post last year.

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