Sunday, April 6, 2008

Umno knows who sabotaged the party

Umno knows who sabotaged the party
KUALA LUMPUR, April 7 — Umno already has an idea about the individuals allegedly involved in sabotaging the party in the general election last month.

Umno deputy president and Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak said if found guilty, the individuals concerned could face stern action including expulsion from the party.

He said no action had been taken so far as the Disciplinary Committee had not received any written report yet from anyone on the matter.

"We have heard from party members and the defeated candidates but these are not sufficient for us to initiate disciplinary proceedings on any party member because there must be written reports (to the Disciplinary Committee)," he said.

Najib said this when asked by reporters on the acts of sabotage committed by Umno members which were identified as some of the factors for the poor showing by the Barisan Nasional (BN) in the recent general election.

Earlier, he opened the Kuala Lumpur Regional Centre For Arbitration (KLRCA) 30th Anniversary Conference 2008 today.

Najib urged anyone with information on the matter to lodge a formal complaint with the Disciplinary Committee to enable investigations to be carried out and disciplinary action taken against those involved.

He said the official report could be forwarded to Umno secretary-general Datuk Seri Tengku Adnan Tengku Mansor.

In the meantime, Najib said that as chairman of the party's Management Committee, he would personally go down to the divisions and branches to listen to the views and suggestions of the leaders at the state level on whatever dissatisfactons that they might have.

"They may want to express their dissatisfaction against party members in their own areas and if there are any complaints, I will suggest that they lodge a formal report and submit it to the Disciplinary Committee for investigations to be carried out to determine the action to be taken," he said.

Conceding that such acts had always occurred every time there was an election as they were not happy over the choice of candidates and the political situation in certain areas, Najib said that party members should not have resorted to acts that could result in the defeat of the party no matter what their reasons were.

"The question of money not getting down to the ground (misappropriation of campaign funds) is a factor, but what is more serious is when we do things that can be construed as sabotage which resulted in the party being defeated," he said.

On the possibility that many Umno members could be involved in such acts and the possibility that it could affect the party, Najib said: "We cannot act hastily, but if we close an eye to the acts of sabotage, it is also not right.”

He said whatever action to be taken would be based on concrete evidence and not based on unfounded allegations.

Asked if party members found guilty of the sabotage would be allowed to attend the divisional and branch meetings to be held soon, Najib said it depended on the date when they were penalised. — Bernama

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