KUALA LUMPUR, March 7—The Umno Supreme Council’s move to suspend Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin as deputy president was questionable as there was no transparency over how it arrived at the decision, said vice president Datuk Seri Shafie Apdal.

Although acknowledging the council’s authority to suspend Muhyiddin from the position, he added that the move deviated from the normal disciplinary process laid out by the party.

“You cannot be the one who is investigating, you cannot be the one who is making the judgement (and) you cannot be the one who decides...” he told reporters in the Parliament building today.

“We have a disciplinary committee. Regardless of position, even someone as low as a branch leader must be investigated by the panel,” he added.

Shafie pointed out that this had not been the case for Muhyiddin, where the decision to suspend the latter was announced by the party’s secretary-general Datuk Seri Tengku Adnan Mansor.

He also added that Muhyiddin was not given the right of reply, alleging that the latter was not even called to attend the supreme council meeting that decided on his suspension.

Muhyiddin previously said that he will not appeal the suspension, but will ask the Registrar of Societies to examine if the decision was consistent with Umno’s rules and constitution.

Tengku Adnan responded to say that Article 10.15 of the Umno Constitution empowered the supreme council to make the decision.

Muhyiddin was suspended from as deputy president on February 26 and replaced by Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, after he continued to attack the Umno leadership in public.

He was also removed from the Cabinet last year along with Shafie due to the duo’s open criticism of Putrajaya over its handling of the 1Malaysia Development Bhd issue.