PETALING JAYA: Former Umno leaders seeking to rejoin the party must do so without expecting personal gain in return, says Tampin Umno chief Isam Isa.
Isam said the move should not be motivated by ambitions to claim party positions, but rather to strengthen the party that once gave them political visibility.
He said he saw no obstacles against welcoming the former leaders back, despite being disappointed by their past opposition to Umno.
“They rose through the ranks and gained advantages, including top positions, through Umno. So, if they want to rejoin, they should do so unconditionally, not to vie for positions like president or deputy president,” he said.
On Friday, Umno president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said the party’s doors were “unconditionally” open to former members, and that “all past mistakes and differences will be forgiven” in the spirit of Ramadan.
According to Zahid, the doors to Umno’s “Rumah Bangsa” were open to all former members who were either sacked or suspended to return, as well as to individuals who wished to join the party in its struggle.
He said the Rumah Bangsa task force, chaired by party vice-president Khaled Nordin, would coordinate the re-entry process for former members wishing to return.
Earlier reports indicated that former Umno Youth chief Khairy Jamaluddin is expected to rejoin the party after allegedly receiving the “green light” from top leadership.
The former health minister was expelled in January 2023 for allegedly breaching party discipline during the 15th general election.
Separately, the Sembrong Umno division in June last year approved a motion for party leaders to consider reinstating its former divisional chief and former vice-president Hishammuddin Hussein.
In 2023, Hishammuddin and former information chief Shahril Hamdan each received a six-year suspension.
Zahid’s remarks on welcoming former members come amid an internal Bersatu crisis that saw former deputy president Hamzah Zainudin expelled on Feb 13.
Hamzah was among six Umno MPs who left the party in December 2018, citing a loss of confidence in Zahid’s leadership at the time.
He is reportedly in the process of taking over Parti Keluarga Malaysia.
