KUALA LUMPUR: Umno is willing to take back former members and those who have been suspended or expelled if they make an appeal, party president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi told the Umno general assembly today.
He said the behaviour of the members after being punished would show whether they were true to the party or were a threat from within.
“If they are truly party members, they should not criticise the party from the outside,” he said when wrapping up the general assembly here.
Zahid said if the sacked and suspended members truly loved Umno, they would comply with the party’s constitution.
Later, he told reporters that such members could make an appeal to be accepted back into the party. However, no appeals have been made so far.
In December, the party took disciplinary action against several prominent party members, including former health minister Khairy Jamaluddin, former Selangor Umno leader Noh Omar, former defence minister Hishammuddin Hussein and former Umno information chief Shahril Hamdan.
Khairy and Noh were expelled, while Hishammuddin and Shahril were suspended for six years. Khairy has said he would not appeal.
Divisional leaders from Pasir Gudang, Putrajaya, Tanjung Karang, and Pahang were also suspended.
Zahid said the party leadership was always open to accepting the suggestions of the delegates about taking back members who have been subject to disciplinary action.
In his assembly speech, Zahid held up Lokman Noor Adam as an exemplary figure for “never stabbing the party in the back” although he was sacked from Umno on Feb 7, 2020.
Lokman was reinstated as an Umno Supreme Council member on Feb 17 this year.