The attempt by Umno vice-president Ali Rustam to contest the party deputy president's post was dashed.
Sat, Mar 21, 2009The Star/Asia News Network
By NURBAITI HAMDAN and M. SHAMINEE
KUALA LUMPUR, MALAYSIA: The last-ditch attempt by Umno vice-president Datuk Seri Mohd Ali Rustam to contest the party deputy president's post was dashed when his appeal against a ban was rejected yesterday.
It is learnt that the decision of the five-member appeals panel was unanimous.
The panel's decision endorsed the ruling made by the party's disciplinary board, which found Mohd Ali guilty of breaching the party's code of ethics pertaining to party elections.
Appeals panel chairman Tan Sri Mohd Zuki Kamaluddin said the decision to uphold the board's ruling was made in line with Article 29(c) of the party's constitution.
On Wednesday, Mohd Ali's legal team sent three appeal letters - to party president Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, deputy president Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak and the panel.
Speaking to newsmen at the party headquarters at the Putra World Trade Centre, Mohd Zuki said Mohd Ali's appealed focused on the punishment meted out by the board.
"The appeal process was fast-tracked in the interest of Mohd Ali as he was still keen to contest on March 26," he added.
Asked if Mohd Ali could appeal again, he said the decision was final.
Mohd Zuki also said that the panel would meet from April 8 to discuss seven other appeals.
Meanwhile, sources said Federal Territory Umno Youth chief Datuk Mohamad Norza Zakaria would also be barred from contesting in the party polls.
Party secretary-general Datuk Seri Tengku Adnan Mansor told newsmen at a media briefing yesterday that Norza would know his fate by Monday.
Norza, who is defending his supreme council seat, was charged in the Temerloh High Court last Friday with two counts of corruption.
Umno Youth chief Datuk Seri Hishamuddin Tun Hussein has also come out to refute speculation that the party is divided following the disciplinary board's decision.
He said talk of the existence of "Team A" and "Team B" in the party were "completely false and hold no weight".
"There are no cracks in the party at all. If we were to crumble, we would have crumbled a long time ago," he said yesterday.
