TWO PARTIES LED BY FORMER UMNO MEMBERS APPLIED TO REJOIN UMNO - AHMAD ZAHID

KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 17 (Bernama) -- UMNO president Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said the party has accepted two applications to join UMNO en bloc.

Ahmad Zahid said one was Parti Ikatan Bangsa Malaysia, led by Tan Sri Kadir Sheikh Fadzir but he did not name the second party.

“I have talked to Tan Sri Kadir Sheikh Fadzir who wants to hand his party to us to be absorbed,” he said his winding up speech at the 2025 UMNO General Assembly here today, adding that the applications will be studied by the newly-announced Commitee on Uniting the Race.

Ahmad Zahid, who is also Deputy Prime Minister, also announced that UMNO vice-president Datuk Seri Mohamed Khaled Nordin has been appointed to lead the committee to ensure that the applications are processed according to UMNO’s constitution and regulations.

He allayed concerns by UMNO members over the possible candidacy of former party members accepted back into the party, stating that any decision would be made by him in the future.

“Yesterday, Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan had a dialogue with several UMNO members who voiced their concerns about the matter (being election candidates), InsyaAllah I am still the Barisan Nasional chairman who will sign the letters of appointment, so the decision is mine.

“If by chance the seats are theirs, but if they join us, I will be the one making the decision (on who will contest),” he said.

During the president’s address, Ahmad Zahid announced that the party would be setting up a Committee to Unite the Race for the purpose of studying and accepting any individual or en bloc applications to join the party.

-- BERNAMA