Sacked Umno members to cite party for contempt, says lawyer

The 16 Umno members who sought the intervention of the courts in seeking the party’s dissolution will file a contempt proceeding to challenge their sacking, according to their lawyer Mohd Haniff Khatri Abdulla.

In a statement today, Haniff said the action filed by the 16 is on basis that the Umno Supreme Council had breached Article 10.16 of the party’s constitution in delaying its party elections until next year.

“Now, when the 16 have taken the Registrar of Societies and Umno to court, the very party constitution which the Umno supreme council has breached is being used to justify the ‘sacking’ of the members,” he said.

Haniff also described the decision announced by Umno secretary-general Tengku Adnan Tengku Mansor as being arbitrary and unjust.

“Furthermore, this act of Umno is tantamount to interference with the course of justice.

“Whilst having knowledge of that action and that the 16 are seeking a stay of all Umno activities and affairs, yet Umno has decided to ‘sack’ them,” he said, arguing that it was a clear and blatant act of contempt by the party.

The court action remains valid, Haniff contends, as the ROS was named as its main respondent and their first two demands to the court were made against the ROS, while Umno was named as the second respondent.

According to a New Straits Times report, Tengku Adnan had accused the 16 of being part of an opposition "game" to bring down Umno.

He also said as the secretary-general for both Umno and Barisan Nasional, he could assure that Umno adhered to the rules set by the ROS.

The sixteen, from 11 Umno branches in six states, had yesterday filed an application at the Kuala Lumpur High Court seeking leave to proceed with a judicial review to quash the ROS decision to allow the party a time extension in order to hold its polls.

The 16 are - Salihudin Ahmad Khalid, Noor Halimi Yahya, Mariam Mohd Ishak, Mohd Hafami Hanif, Saharuddin Tukiman, Azaid Jani, Normalawati Hassan, Radiana Abd Manaf, Mohd Raafeek Rahim, Nurul Hanna Mohd Suhot, Kamarul Abd Wahid, Mohd Hikamal Md Hassim, Muzamzamir Abd Wahab, Norizam Jamaludin, Rohani Ahmad and Muhamad Hafizi Hashim.

They also sought the deregistration of Umno under Section 14(2) and 14(5) of the Societies Act 1966 for both provisional and permanent dissolution.

This follows their argument that the last day for Umno branches to hold their elections was on Feb 28, and the last day for the supreme council and 191 divisions to function was on April 19, this year. -Mkini