KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 27 — Umno has suspended Tan Sri Noh Omar for six years tonight amid claims that he had sabotaged the party, but the former Selangor chapter chief said he had asked to be kicked out instead.
Walking out of the party supreme council meeting held at Menara Dato’ Onn, he told reporters that Umno president Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi has since agreed to his request to be expelled from the party.
“I said, instead of being suspended, it would be better for me to be sacked,” he told the media.
Noh said that his sacking was with immediate effect according to Zahid, adding that everyone else had stayed silent on the matter.
He also insisted that his suspension did not follow procedure, as his meeting with the party’s disciplinary board was due to be held on Monday.
He pointed to Article 8.1 of the party constitution, saying that the Umno general assembly is the highest level of power in the party, but that its authority is restricted by the constitution and party rules.
“Umno’s rules have become the property of an individual, for him to do as he wishes,” he claimed, alluding to Zahid.
Besides that, he raised the question of who the real traitor within the party is, saying he had then refused to back Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim following the party's decision to reject any cooperation with the Pakatan Harapan (PH) chairman and DAP.
Umno, as part of Barisan Nasional, is now part of the government with PH. Zahid is the deputy prime minister.
“If the party has made a decision, why should we go against it? So whoever goes against the party’s decision, then he is the one who is the real traitor to the party.
“So how did I become the traitor instead?” he asked.
The Umno supreme council is meeting tonight, which among others will decide dates for the party’s internal polls and the fates of some that were deemed saboteurs.
