KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 21 ― A party member should only be censured for violating party rules and not for falling out of favour with a certain faction, Tan Sri Rafidah Aziz said today following news of Kedah Umno's bid to oust state Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Mukhriz Mahathir.

Without mentioning Kedah or Umno, the former Wanita Umno chief wrote on Facebook this morning that the muddled state of politics in Malaysia made her anxious, particularly as discord and conflict now exist not just between the different parties but among members of the same entity.

“Loss of confidence in this leader and that. And the objective is so this leader or that leader is removed... sacked.

“Why? Just because the leader does not get along with us? Because of a difference in opinion?” she wrote in Malay on the social networking site.

The senior politician said all party leaders should be given equal treatment and judged on the same criteria, and not be evaluated according to what she described as the “trend” of “our people” and “not our people”.

“We are all party people,” she pointed out.

It is only if a member breaches party constitution when action can be taken, Rafidah said, adding that even in such an event, the punishment must be fair and objective.

She also reminded members that their actions are being observed and will be judged by the public, whose needs and wants she said should matter more than the personal interests of factions within the party.

“Don't embarrass yourselves,” she said.

“Seek consensus... discussion... and solve your problems with honesty and good intention. May God bless us and our party,” she added.

Yesterday, Kedah Umno leaders expressed their loss of confidence in Mukhriz as state mentri besar.

Kedah Umno deputy chairman Datuk Ahmad Bashah Md Hanipah held a press conference in Alor Star listing three reasons for the ruling party’s move against the son of former prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad who has been publicly criticising Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak.

The reasons they gave were Mukhriz’s purported failure to unite Umno and the party machinery in Kedah, the lack of a strategic plan for Umno to face the 14th general election, and his purported failure to govern the state.

Among the Umno leaders present at the press conference were Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Datuk Jamil Khir Baharom, Kedah Wanita Umno chief Datuk Maznah Abd Hamid, Kedah Umno Youth chief Datuk Shaiful Azizy Zainal Abidin and Kedah Puteri Umno chief Datin Norashimah Md Nowar.

In response, Muhkriz acknowledged the ouster call from his fellow Kedah Umno leaders last night, but did not say if he would seek a meeting with the state ruler on the matter.

The first-term MB said, however, that whether he stays or goes will be decided by the people.