Any proposal to suspend UMNO deputy president Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin tabled at the UMNO Supreme Council will have to go through the party disciplinary board, said UMNO Supreme Council member Datuk Abdul Rahman Dahlan.

He said this was the usual process in any party where a reference was made to the disciplinary board for any matter associated with discipline.

"Any disciplinary case will be referred to the disciplinary board and it will conduct an investigation before making a recommendation on the action to be taken.

"(As such) no decision on Muhyiddin will be made at the UMNO Supreme Council meeting scheduled for tomorrow," he told a press conference after launching the Open Day of the National Solid Waste Management Laboratory, here.

"The proposal to take disciplinary action will have to go through the process. I hope the disciplinary board will be fair," he said.

Abdul Rahman was asked whether the UMNO Supreme Council had the powers to suspend Muhyiddin over his alleged criticism of the leadership of UMNO President and Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak.

He said Muhyiddin should understand that the party was facing challenges at the moment and should forge close cooperation with the UMNO president for the perpetuity of the party for the future generations.

"We (Supreme Council members) hope that Muhyiddin will not criticise Najib openly. We want Muhyiddin and Najib to be cordial in their relationship and work together," said Abdul Rahman, who is Urban Well-being, Housing and Local Government Minister.

He said every UMNO member, including the president and deputy president, must respect any decision of the party disciplinary board endorsed by the Supreme Council.

"Otherwise, the member risks facing disciplinary action for there must be discipline in the party," said the MP for Kota Belud.

Last Monday, UMNO Supreme Council member Datuk Seri Mohamed Nazri Abdul Aziz called for Muhyiddin's resignation as UMNO deputy president if he could not discharge the responsibilities entrusted to him.