Ali Rustam banned from polls, Khairy can contest..

KUALA LUMPUR: Datuk Seri Mohd Ali Rustam has been found guilty of breaching the party’s campaign rules and would not be allowed to contest the Umno deputy presidency next week.

The party's disciplinary board on Tuesday also found Umno Youth deputy chief Khairy Jamaludin guilty of breaching Umno campaign rules. He was given a warning and allowed to contest the wing’s chief post.

Datuk Seri Dr Mohd Khir Toyo, meanwhile, was cleared of any wrongdoing. The former Selangor Mentri Besar and Datuk Mukhriz Tun Dr Mahathir are the other two contenders for the Umno Youth chief's post.

The board's chairman Tengku Tan Sri Ahmad Rithauddeen announced the decisions at the party’s headquarters at PWTC here.

“Mohd Ali is only barred from contesting but has not been suspended (from the party),” Rithauddeen said.

He, however, added that Mohd Ali’s political secretary Saadun Basirun and two other office bearers from his Bukit Katil division were found guilty of “money politics” or vote-buying and have been suspended for three years.

Mohd Ali was found guilty under Article 10.1 of Umno’s Code of Ethics, whereby he is presumed guilty due to the action of third parties (his agents in this case) acting on his behalf.

Talk had been rife over the past few days that Mohd Ali, 59, who was said to be doing well in the contest for the Umno No. 2 post, was being investigated by the board.

The speculation raised the political temperature as the party election campaign entered its final lap, with just days left before more than 2,000 delegates chose the new party line-up.

With this, the contest for the No. 2 spot in Umno will see a straight fight between International Trade and Industry Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin and Rural Development Minister Tan Sri Muhammad Muhammad Taib.

The Umno general assembly will begin at PWTC on Tuesday.

Umno deputy president Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak urged party members to accept the disciplinary board’s decision.

“I believe that being loyal to the party, Mohd Ali will accept the decision with an open heart and will continue giving his support to Umno,” he said.

“Umno must be seen as a clean party and it cannot afford to be rejected by the people,” added najib, who will take over the party president post uncontested next week.