KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 30 — Umno deputy president Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin will still be seated next to party president Datuk Seri Najib Razak at the party’s general assembly, Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said today.

The Umno vice-president said that there were no changes in the seating arrangement for the Malay ruling party’s annual meeting next month, despite the party changing its tradition this year by having the heads of the respective Youth, Wanita and Puteri wings, instead of the deputy president, open their own assemblies.

“The deputy president must be seated to the right of the president,” Zahid was quoted by national news agency Bernama as telling Malaysian media at Malta.

Muhyiddin questioned the Umno supreme council’s decision to disallow him from opening the party’s three wings next month, saying he was shocked as he had for the past six years officiated all previous assemblies in his capacity as deputy president.

Muhyiddin, who had questioned the government’s handling of the 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) controversy, was dropped as deputy prime minister in a Cabinet reshuffle last July and replaced with Zahid.