Rafiq's departure won't affect party: Khairy

KUALA LUMPUR: The move by former Umno Youth Exco Mohd Rafiq Naizamohideen who left Umno recently will not have any major impact on the party.
Umno Youth head Khairy Jamaluddin (pix) pointed out that there were still many grassroot members throughout the country who remained loyal to the basic struggles of Umno.
In fact, he said Mohd Rafiq's membership had earlier been suspended for being involved in efforts to topple the party leadership.
"He (Mohd Rafiq) was involved in the effort to topple the party president. It is out of our hand, we send a report to the disciplinary board which is free to make a decision, so we must accept," he said when met at the Parliament lobby, here today.
He disclosed this when asked to comment on the move by Mohd Rafiq who announced his resignation from the party together with 28 former Umno branch leaders recently.
Khairy said Umno was a political party that practised democracy and that people leaving and joining the party was a normal process. — Bernama