SACKING OF UMNO MEMBERS - BERITA DAILY

03/09/2015 10:31 AM

Sanusi: Sacking in Umno will not stop, yet

The former Kedah Menteri Besar says legal option seems to be the last resort, at the moment, to get the truth out

 

Syauqi Jamil

KUALA LUMPUR: Umno members that drag party matters to court can be sacked as the party constitution allows it, said Umno veteran Sanusi Junid today.

Nevertheless Sanusi was quick to add that this did not mean that such party rules were meant to protect Umno leaders that meddled with its funds.

He said that the rules were in reference to mismanagement at lower levels which could be arbitrated by the various central committees.

Sanusi who has been an Umno member since 1963 was commenting on the sacking of Anina Saadudin, from the Kampung Padang Matsirat Umno branch, for taking party matters to court.

Anina on Tuesday received a letter from Umno secretary-general Tengku Adnan Tengku Mansor who said she lost her membership in Umno with immediate effect under Article 20.7 of the Umno constitution for suing party president Najib Razak over the RM2.6 billion political donation.

Anina known for her outburst during the Langkawi women delegates' meeting last month in which she had accused Najib Razak of lying to the three million Umno members over the political funds, made her second wave last week when she filed a lawsuit against Najib in an effort to reclaim for the party the political donations deposited into his personal accounts.

In filing her suit, Anina claimed that the sum of money did not appear in Umno’s audited accounts in either 2013 or 2014, which the complainant said was a breach of Umno’s constitution and the Societies Act 1966.

She said that her legal action was for the benefit of the party, and had also sought an injunction to prevent being removed or suspended from office as a result.

Umno responded by sacking her from the party.

Speaking to Berita Daily, Sanusi pointed out that there were two unsettled issues - the first being if the RM2.6 billion was truly a donation, and the second, if that amount was channeled from state-owned investment firm 1MDB.

“It's ridiculous, unbelievable and a mockery to even imagine such donation is possible after scrutinising all possibilities.

“The Arab Gazette wrote 'The Saudis are not amused' as their headline, Tun Mahathir went further to ask how much 'donation' Najib expects for GE14. Anina chose a kinder option by believing that it was a donation in which she would like Umno to have the money back.

“As polite approach by deputy president Muhyiddin Yassin resulted him being sacked from deputy prime minister's post, and harsh words from Anina was cleverly misunderstood, there's only legal approach that she could think of,” said Sanusi.

He added such things never happened in the old days as no Umno president ever walked away with Umno money.

When asked if the streak of sacking of those who questioned Najib will end, the former Kedah menteri besar has doubts that the sacking fiesta will end anytime soon.

“I don't think this act of sacking for the wrong reason will end once it has started. The circus will turn into a festival,” he said.