JELI: Former Umno members who were sacked from the party are free to join other parties, said party president Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi.
"Former Umno members who have been expelled from the party are free to join any party they like as that is their right," he told a press conference after launching the Jeli Umno division delegates' meeting here today (July 5).
Present were Kelantan Umno liaison committee chairman Datuk Ahmad Jazlan Yaakub, Umno secretary-general Datuk Dr Asyraf Wajdi Dusuki and Jeli Umno division chief Datuk Mohd Adhan Kechik.
Zahid was commenting on former Umno leader Tan Sri Noh Omar's decision to join Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia.
Yesterday, the former Selangor Umno liaison committee chairman announced that he had joined Bersatu.
Noh said he made the decision due to his disappointment with the Kuala Lumpur High Court's rejection of former prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak's application for a judicial review into an alleged addendum order by the former king for him to serve the remainder of his jail term under house arrest.
Noh said he was sad for Najib, who must serve the remaining six years of his sentence in prison.
"I applied to join Bersatu online yesterday by filling out a form. No one knew. I immediately received a certificate confirming my membership," he said in a video clip he shared yesterday.
On Jan 27 last year, the Umno supreme council announced that it had expelled Noh from the party.