KUALA LUMPUR. Umno President Najib Razak and Vice- President Ahmad Zahid Hamidi were not involved in the discussion to suspend Muhyiddin Yassin as the party’s No. 2.

Umno Information Chief Annuar Musa said Najib made the decision to exclude himself from the discussion as he felt he was directly involved in the matter.

“The president asked to not join in the discussion (to suspend Muhyiddin),” he told reporters at the Umno headquarters.

“The president went out. Zahid also went out.

“The decision was made unanimously by us (the remaining Supreme Council members).”

Annuar said the decision made today showed that Umno was ready to gear up and strengthen itself to face the next general election.

He claimed that this was not the first time this had happened as former Deputy President Anwar Ibrahim was sacked from the party in 1998 while in 2008, former President Abdullah Ahmad Badawi resigned.

“The party can’t function if the office bearers don’t carry out their responsibilities as stipulated in the party’s constitution.”

Muhyiddin was suspended today as Umno’s No. 2 after failing to help the president, Najib Razak, under article 9.8.2.1 of the Umno constitution.

Umno Secretary-General Tengku Adnan Tengku Mansor said the Supreme Council unanimously agreed to suspend Muhyiddin until the next party election, which has been postponed to 2018.

Vice-President Ahmad Zahid Hamidi will now take over the reins immediately.

Muhyiddin, as well as another vice-president, Shafie Apdal, who was reportedly sick, were not present during the discussion.

Muhyiddin and Shafie were sacked from their Cabinet posts last year after criticising the probe into the 1MDB issue.