Reports of sacking of several high profile leaders from Umno are just rumours: Hishammuddin

BATU PAHAT: Umno vice-president Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein said he is not aware that the sacking of several high profile leaders from the party will be discussed in the upcoming supreme Council meeting on Sept 9.
He was commenting on reports that party deputy president Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin and another vice-president, Datuk Seri Shafie Apdal, will be sacked in the meeting.
"These are rumours," Hishammuddin told reporters after officiating the "Together with our leader" programme at Dewan Sultan Ibrahim, UTHM here today.
"The meeting is an internal party meeting, the agenda should not be discussed in an open forum," he added.
Earlier today, Umno deputy permanent chairman Tan Sri Mohamed Aziz said the duo should not be sacked because their removal from the cabinet on July 28 had already caused tension among the party grassroots.
The Umno Supreme Council has twice postponed its meeting since the Cabinet reshuffle.
Meanwhile, Hishammuddin said the cabinet had approved the National Service Training Programme 2 (PLKN 2) to kick off next January.
He said the military training aspect is about 8 weeks, after which participants can take up a skill learning programme by attending a course at a vocational centre or related learning institutions from three months to two years.
"We need to take care of those who do not have a chance to go for higher studies," he said, adding the national service programme needs to be transformed to focus on helping these group to find a job, otherwise they may be marginalised.
The National Service Training Programme was deferred for a year as part of measures to cut federal spending.