You said nothing when Umno sacked me without ‘due process’, Zaid tells ousted leaders

KUALA LUMPUR: The leaders complaining about being sacked or suspended from Umno recently “without due process” kept silent when the same thing was done to him in 2008, says Datuk Zaid Ibrahim.

The former law minister said in a social media post that when he was sacked for being considered “too liberal”, those leaders who were removed on Friday (Jan 27) did nothing.

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“There was no show cause, no warning and no basis (for my sacking). Yet the guys who are complaining now did nothing.

“You are never far from injustice if you decide to pick and choose when it is applicable,” he said on Sunday (Jan 29).

Zaid, a lawyer, rejoined Umno last year after stints in other parties.

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It is said former prime minister Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, as the then Umno president, sacked Zaid in December 2008 for attending opposition events.

On Friday (Jan 27), Umno sacked former Youth chief Khairy Jamaluddin and supreme council member Tan Sri Noh Omar.

Others punished included former vice-president and Sembrong MP Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein, who was suspended for six years.

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Former information chief Shahril Hamdan, former Youth exco member Datuk Dr Fathul Bari Mat Jahya, former Johor state exco member and Tebrau division chief Datuk Maulizan Bujang and former Jempol MP Datuk Seri Mohd Salim Mohd Shariff were also suspended for six years.

At Friday’s supreme council meeting, party president Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi announced that a few members would be sacked and suspended before revealing their names.