I won’t be silenced, Muhyiddin says after Umno’s move to stop speeches

Barred from speaking in next month's Umno General Assembly, deputy president Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin today said he would not be silenced by anyone and vowed to continue speaking for what was right. In a Facebook post, he questioned the decision to stop the practice of having the Umno deputy president speak at the assemblies of the Youth, Wanita and Puteri wings that was announced by Umno president Datuk Seri Najib Razak last night. Muhyiddin, who is also former deputy prime minister, said he wondered if this decision was made because certain parties were fearful about what he might say in front of the youth during the assembly. "While I respect the decision of the supreme council, I also want to remind them that in a free and independent nation, no one can silence me. I will continue to talk about what is right. "My struggle in Umno is not to defend any individual but to uphold religion, race and my beloved country," he said in the post. Najib, who is also the prime minister, announced after the Umno Supreme Council meeting yesterday that the party would stop its tradition of having its deputy president officiate its Youth, Wanita, and Puteri wing assemblies during annual general meeting next month, in order to create a "positive atmosphere". The chiefs of the respective wings will officiate their meetings, said Najib. Muhyiddin said today that this was a role that he had been undertaking for the past six years, adding that this was the "most important" speech he made in front of party members. "It seems like I will not be getting the chance to present my speech in a function that is very meaningful to me as deputy president. "I am told that there are certain parties who want to stop me from speaking. What sin I have done towards Umno that the tradition to speak given every year to the deputy president is denied to me this year? "Or are they so afraid of what I might say in front of young people, who are able to erode confidence towards a leader?" he asked. The move comes amid discord in the lead ruling Malay party following Muhyiddin's removal from the cabinet, as well as party vice-president Datuk Seri Shafie Apdal. Muhyiddin lost his deputy prime minister post in a Cabinet reshuffle after being critical of Najib's handling of his brainchild 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB), which is mired in debt. The decision to discontinue the party deputy president's speeches at the wing assemblies, however, has been described as a request by the heads of the wings themselves so that they could open their own assemblies, according to Umno vice-president Datuk Seri Zahid Hamidi and Youth chief Khairy Jamaluddin today. – November 25, 2015.