KUALA LUMPUR - Malaysia's ruling Umno is set to suspend its deputy president Muhyiddin Yassin before the party's general assembly in December because of his continuous attacks against party president Najib Razak, it was reported on Friday (Oct 30).

The Malaysian Insider, quoting party sources, said the Umno Supreme Council was preparing charge papers against Muhyiddin, to be submitted to the disciplinary board along with evidence of his offences.

Among the offences Muhyiddin allegedly committed were his statements on debt-ridden state investor 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) and persistent questioning of the RM2.6 billion (S$841 million) credited into Najib's account despite the latter's explanation that it was a political donation.

"Muhyiddin will be suspended before the December assembly. There are some concerns among the top party leadership that he will continue to criticise during the officiating of the wings' meetings later,'' a source was quoted as saying.

The source also said that when Muhyiddin is suspended, Umno vice-president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi would take over the deputy president's post until party elections in 2018,

"Muhyiddin has brought up the RM2.6 billion and 1MDB issues but those matters had been answered in the last Supreme Council meeting. In fact, he backed the leadership but when he goes out, it is a different thing,'' the source told Malaysian Insider.

"This sort of people are unethical and liars. They say one thing in front of you and another behind you," the source said, commenting on the last Supreme Council meeting on Sept 9.

Umno secretary-general Tengku Adnan Tengku Mansor said on Wednesday that seven leaders faced suspension for publicly disparaging the party. He, however, refused to disclose their identities but said that a committee was looking into the matter.

Muhyiddin was sacked as Malaysia's deputy prime minister in a Cabinet reshuffle in July and was replaced by Zahid Hamidi. Another government critic Shafie Apdal was also sacked as rural development minister.