The membership of the former Negeri Sembilan Menteri Besar Mohd Isa Abdul Samad in Umno is automatically cancelled if he becomes an independent candidate and contests in the Port Dickson parliamentary by-election.

Umno supreme council member Mohd Sharkar Shamsudin said the matter was enshrined in the party's constitution and applied to all members regardless of post.

"Any member who becomes an independent candidate, automatically loses his membership. It is already in the party's constitution.

"We wish Isa good luck if he really wants to contest as an independent candidate in Port Dickson," he told reporters at Menara Dato Onn tonight.

He said this when commenting on the decision of Mohd Isa, who was reported to be contesting on an independent ticket in the parliamentary by-election.

In Port Dickson, Mohd Isa, at a press conference, said the issue of him being expelled from Umno did not arise because he had submitted his resignation two days ago.

- Bernama