Hisham denies being under probe, but Apandi says yes

• UPDATE: “(The report is) not true. Not sure what they are talking about,” Sembrong MP says.

There are disputes on whether or not former Umno vice-president Hishammuddin Hussein is being investigated by his party.

Earlier, Umno's disciplinary board chief Mohamed Apandi Ali confirmed with Malaysiakini that it is conducting a probe against Hishammuddin.

However, Hishammuddin and several Umno top leaders have disputed this.

Apandi said investigations were currently ongoing but declined to comment on why Hishammuddin was being investigated.

However, Malaysiakini understands that the former Umno vice-president is being probed for disciplinary breaches, including meeting with Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad.

Hishammuddin, together with PAS vice-president Ahmad Samsuri Mokhtar, and secretary-general Takiyuddin Hassan, as well as GPS chief whip Fadillah Yusof, had met with Mahathir at the end of July. 

Hishammuddin said there was nothing unusual about the meeting, while Mahathir said it was just a chit-chat. 

The Sembrong MP's meeting with the prime minister, however, may have put him at odds with a party ruling on July 24, that only Umno president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi can represent the party in any political negotiations.

'Disciplinary board an independent body'

Meanwhile, Apandi denied allegations that the disciplinary committee had been blocked by the top leadership from taking action against Hishammuddin.

"That is false information. Investigations are ongoing, and the disciplinary board is an independent body that is not subject to any orders from the party leadership.

"We are free from any influence or pressure," he said.

Hishammuddin has since denied being under investigation.

“(The report is) not true. Not sure what they are talking about,” he was quoted as saying by FMT. 

Likewise, both Umno deputy president Mohamad Hassan and secretary-general Annuar Musa said Umno's management had not received any complaints about Hishammuddin nor was the supreme council informed about a probe.

Annuar (photo) also tweeted that Hishammuddin met Mahathir in his personal capacity, and he "felt" this was not wrong.

Apandi, however, stuck by his remarks and said that no action had yet been taken against Hishammuddin.

On whether Hishammuddin was aware of the probe, Apandi told FMT: "That you have to ask him."

This is not the first time Hishammuddin has been in the party's bad books.

Last year, he was accused by insiders of engineering defections from Umno to Bersatu. 

He denied these allegations. 

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