He said this was likely the basis for the party to sack Khairy Jamaluddin as well.

Hishammuddin said the motion to not contest the president and deputy president’s posts was also mooted the day after he announced that he wanted to challenge party president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi in the upcoming polls.

“After the motion was passed by Umno, there were those who said it was against the party’s constitution and they even lodged a report with the Registrar of Societies (RoS).

“It was only after that we were sacked and suspended. Perhaps the consideration (for the suspension and sacking) is the party elections, just in case the home ministry does not grant an exemption,” he told FMT.

Yesterday, home minister Saifuddin Nasution Ismail confirmed that Umno had been granted an exemption under the Societies Act 1966 for the resolution barring contests for its top two posts in the upcoming party elections.

Saifuddin said the exemption was given pursuant to Section 70 of the Act, which empowered the minister to use his discretion to exempt any registered society from all or any of the provisions of the Act.

Following Saifuddin’s statement, Khairy said the decision to exempt Umno from complying with a section in the Societies Act 1966 was proof that the no-contest motion had breached the law.

“If it had not, there was no need for an exemption,” he said in a TikTok video.

Last month, it was reported that RoS was investigating a possible violation of the party’s constitution after the motion was approved at its general assembly in January.

The investigation came about after two Umno members lodged a report with RoS claiming that the tabling of the motion at the general assembly had breached Article 10 of the party’s constitution, which required at least 14 days notification prior to the tabling of a motion.