Umno deputy president Muhyiddin Yassin said he was prepared to face punishment after joining a protest at the Umno headquarters today in support of nine Umno rebels who were summoned to face the party's disciplinary board.

The nine were among 13 branch leaders from the Telok Kemang Umno division who in October called for Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak, who is also Umno president, to step down.

"Even though I do not want to be sacked, but if they (party leaders) want to punish me, I will accept," he told reporters at the lobby of the Umno headquarters in Kuala Lumpur today.