PETALING JAYA: Former Umno vice-president Hishammuddin Hussein remains unaware of the reasons why he was punished with a six-year suspension by the party last January, he said.
As such, the former defence minister doubted the sincerity of Umno president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi’s invitation for members who had been expelled or suspended from the party to rejoin its ranks, Bernama reported.
“As far as I know, he (Zahid) said we have to re-apply to be accepted. Second, it has to be brought to the disciplinary committee, but for me, to this day I do not know why I was suspended.
“The disciplinary committee didn’t call me in for questioning. Therefore, I don’t even know if what has been said (by Zahid) recently is sincere,” he was quoted as saying at a press conference in Parliament today.
At last week’s Umno general assembly, Zahid insisted that the party was always open to taking back members who had been subject to disciplinary action, including those who were suspended or sacked.
Besides Hishammuddin, other Umno leaders who were suspended or sacked include former elections director Tajuddin Abdul Rahman, former information chief Shahril Hamdan, former Jempol MP Salim Sharif, and Umno Tebrau leader Maulizan Bujang.
Umno also sacked former youth chief Khairy Jamaluddin and former Selangor chief Noh Omar over alleged breaches of party discipline during the last general election.
