Muhyiddin: I have been barred from speaking at Umno general assembly
KUALA LUMPUR: Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin (pic) said that he is barred from speaking at the upcoming Umno General Meeting.
Muhyiddin said that while he is still Umno's deputy president, he has been prevented from doing the customary winding up speech on the last day of the party's general assembly.
"I planned to speak but was told that I can't.
"I will be a tree stump (tunggul) on the stage, everyone else can speak but the deputy president can't," he told the media while coming in to give support to nine Telok Kemang Umno branch leaders who were called to appear before the party's disciplinary board on Wednesday.
He added that he was also barred from speaking at any of the assemblies by the party's wings.
He said that he will still be attending the general assembly as he is still the deputy president.
Muhyiddin added that he came to give support to the nine branch leaders as he believed in democracy in the party.
"I respect the voice of the grassroots in the party as they ensure that if the top leaders can't speak, they will be able to.
"If the top can't speak and the grassroots members can't speak, what is the meaning of democracy in Umno today?
"Where is the democracy?" he said.
Among the nine branch leaders coming in to face the party's disciplinary committee were Kamarul Azman Habibur Rahman (Taman TKK), Mustafa Kamil Mohamad (Kampung Linggi), and Ramli Awang (Sua Betong).
Muhyiddin's revelation came after Umno secretary-general Datuk Seri Tengku Adnan Tengku Mansor's recent announcement that there is no clause in the party's constitition that allowed all leaders to speak at the general assembly.
"In the constitution there is nothing specific that says a certain individual has to speak. It ends up becoming competition of who is the best in giving speeches.
"It is not good for my party," Tengku Adnan was quoted as saying.
Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak has also said that each party wing would be officiated by its respective chief, breaking the party's tradition.
