KUALA LUMPUR, May 5 — Former minister Tan Sri Rafidah Aziz said today it was impossible for Umno to have sacked her as she has not been a member for almost ten years.

Stating her “sheer amusement” over the “public announcement” of her expulsion from the party, the former Umno veteran said she had not attended any branch meeting for a long time.

“I have ceased being a member of Umno since almost a decade ago. I have never attended any cawangan meeting for years,” Rafidah said in a text message to Malay Mail.

“No one can ‘sack’ a non-member!”

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In serving the people and the nation, Rafidah said she does not need to be a member of any political party in order to do so.

She said she can no longer identify with the present Umno after being a member for almost 50 years.

“After almost half a century of being a member, I can no longer identify with the Umno of today. The value system has been eroded. Principles no longer seem to matter.

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“One does not have to be a card-carrying member of any political party to serve. I am not,” she said.

Claiming the party to have strayed far off from the “original Umno”, Rafidah said the current Umno has been about personal loyalty and a materialistic culture, that is often driven by the greed for power and personal enrichment.

“Umno is sadly no longer how the ‘United Malays National Organisation’ was when I was inducted into in the 1960s. The very spirit, culture and embodiment of today’s Umno has strayed so far off-tangent from the original Umno before this present cohort of so-called leaders.

“Humility, good manners and mutual respect has been replaced by arrogance,” she said.

Rafidah has called for the reformation of the party in order to remain relevant in the ever changing environment and said the party is “nothing without its original spirit.”

In reference to Umno president Datuk Seri Najib Razak's move in June 2015 to postpone the party's election for 18 months, Rafidah said the party has not been able to abide by its own constitution and is currently running illegally.

Earlier today Umno has expelled Rafidah and another former minister, Tun Daim Zainuddin, from the party for supporting the Opposition in the general election, said its secretary-general Datuk Seri Tengku Adnan Mansor.

Following the Umno disciplinary board meeting today, it was decided that Rafidah and Daim lost their rights as Umno member after they actively campaigned for the Opposition and attended their events.

As for Tan Sri Rais Yatim, the veteran party member is said to be under investigation as he has been active on the social media criticising the party.