Sack saboteurs, Muhyiddin tells BN parties

Politics is an art of impossible and power plays, so it’s nothing surprise to see politicians using every strategy including political sabotage in getting personal benefits. On the other hand, the so called smart politicians have nothing to lose and paid absolutely no political price for doing so.

Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin said today other Barisan Nasional (BN) component parties should emulate Umno's decision to sack members who sabotage BN candidates in the next general election.

All BN component parties should not take the matter of sabotage lightly and let the culprits feel that they have escaped punishment, said the Umno deputy president and BN deputy chairman.

"In fact, they should take similar action because our candidates are standing not on their party's ticket but on a BN ticket. 

"We have 13 parties in the BN (coalition). If any of the parties' members are proven to have sabotaged candidates, the relevant party must take disciplinary action, including sacking them," he told reporters after opening the Pagoh Umno Division delegates meeting. 

Yesterday, Muhyiddin said Umno would sack members proven to have sabotaged its candidates in the next general election, and Home Minister and Umno vice-president Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein suggested that other BN parties emulate the Umno decision.

Muhyiddin said the proposal by Hishammuddin was a good suggestion which should be considered by other BN component parties.

“Even if we win (a seat), it does not mean that those who have sabotaged the candidate should escape punishment. We have won in constituencies where there has been sabotage. In fact, there should not be any sabotage at all. Everyone must remain loyal to the party,” he said.

Asked why BN did not make a decision on the matter of expulsion but was leaving it to the component parties to do so, Muhyiddin said each party had its own constitution and their members were bound by it.

“That should suffice. Each party has the jurisdiction to act against members for indiscipline. The outcome is the same,” he said.