Kuala lumpur: UMNO will fairly assess the role of leaders who rejoin the party after previously being expelled, including opportunities to contest in the 16th General Election (GE16), which will be determined based on winnability, said UMNO president Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi.
According to BERNAMA News Agency, Ahmad Zahid stated that no empirical assessment had been carried out on the impact of the return of the leaders through the Gagasan Rumah Bangsa initiative. He emphasized the importance of fairness in evaluating these leaders' commitment to contributing to UMNO, as expressed in a recent special interview in conjunction with the party's 80th anniversary.
The Barisan Nasional (BN) chairman highlighted that opportunities to contest in GE16 would be heavily dependent on a candidate's electability within specific constituencies. On April 18, UMNO secretary-general Datuk Dr Asyraf Wajdi Dusuki revealed that several former leaders, including former UMNO vice-president Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein, had been readmitted into UMNO through the Gagasan Rumah Bangsa initiative. This initiative, introduced by Ahmad Zahid, aims to reunite Malays and welcome former members back into the party through an accessible membership registration process.
When questioned about whether this initiative indicated challenges in maintaining UMNO as a unifying platform, Ahmad Zahid, who also serves as Deputy Prime Minister, affirmed that the party's core remains a significant part of the country's Malay-Muslim political landscape. He noted the historical roots of many existing Malay-Muslim parties in UMNO and stressed the importance of focusing on engaging and assisting the people over internal differences.
Ahmad Zahid also called for a broader view of the national agenda, including areas like education and the economy, beyond party interests. He urged for rational consideration, moving away from narrow perspectives held by some leaders.
Regarding the status of MIC's relationship within BN, Ahmad Zahid reaffirmed that the component party remains with the coalition, stating that any related issues have been resolved.