KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 8 — Umno supreme council member Isham Jalil will be given a letter soon regarding his party membership status, said Umno president Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi.

"He will get a letter soon,” Ahmad Zahid said briefly when asked about Isham’s statement that he had yet to get any letter on his Umno membership status after his reported sacking from the party.

The deputy prime minister told reporters this after officiating at the Mynext TVET launch and exchange of Memorandum of Cooperation (MoC) on TVET transformation between the government and government-linked companies (GLCs) and private companies in conjunction with the Madani Government One Year Anniversary Programme at the Bukit Jalil National Stadium here today.

Media reports said the Umno supreme council on December 6 decided to sack Isham from the party for his criticisms of the party which were seen to be against Umno’s stand on efforts to strengthen the unity government.

To a question, Ahmad Zahid said he agreed with Umno secretary-general Datuk Asyraf Wajdi Dusuki’s statement that the party was getting weaker because it had members who were acting like "thorns in the flesh”.

"Since 2018, we have seen characters from within who have damaged the party by trying to fix things they do not know,” he said.

As such, Ahmad Zahid said the party leadership, especially the Umno Cadre and Training Council, was now conducting new forms of training to reinvigorate the spirit and camaraderie among party leaders and members.

He also dismissed allegations that Umno was not practising democracy in the party.

"Umno always accommodates differences of opinion among members and leaders but there should not be internal efforts to slam and damage the party.

"We want the young blood in Umno, whether Puteri or Pemuda, to continue contributing, and we have opened up membership for online applications. We have no problems getting new and young members,” he said. — Bernama