Anwar Ibrahim's sacking from Umno has no connection with the Federal Court's decision to overturn his sodomy conviction, said party president Abdullah Ahmad Badawi today.

He stressed that Umno had the right to expel Anwar, who was the party's former deputy president until his unceremonious exit in 1998.

Abdullah, who is also prime minister, was speaking to reporters after chairing the special Umno supreme council meeting at the party headquarters in Kuala Lumpur.

"The sacking has happened and it cannot be changed. This was Umno's decision at that time and the court made its decision later," he said.

"We can sack based on any reason. It has nothing to do with the courts. This is the party procedure," he added.

The premier was asked to comment on the statement made by supreme council member Dr Rais Yatim who questioned if Umno was right in expelling Anwar in the light of the court decision.

Anwar, who was also former deputy premier and finance minister, was sacked from his government positions and party on moral grounds by the then prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad.

He was subsequently charged and found guilty of corruption and sodomy.

Last week, the High Court awarded Anwar RM4.5 million in damages over a book that triggered his sacking.

The author of "50 Reasons Why Anwar Cannot Be PM", Khalid Jafri, has already been sentenced to jail for accusing Anwar of sodomy, corruption and an extra-marital affair that resulted in an illegitimate daughter.

High Court judge Mohamad Hishamudin Mohamad Yunus noted in his ruling the book was distributed to delegates at the general assembly of Umno in May 1998.

"The defendants and others who conspired with the defendants achieve their purpose," he said. "The plaintiff's political career was ruined as a result of the publication of the book."

Decision not received

Meanwhile, Abdullah said today's supreme council meeting had discussed the resolutions raised at the party's recent annual general assembly.

In a related development, Umno secretary-general Radzi Sheikh Ahmad said the supreme council has not received the decision on the appeals of six members, including vice-president Mohd Isa Samad, from the Umno appeals panel.

Mohd Isa was slapped with a six-year suspension after being found of guilty of practicing money politics.

As a result of this, he said the supreme council did not discuss the matter today and it will be raised in a future meeting.