Umno open to return of ex-members, including Tok Pa

Umno president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said the door was always open to those who wanted to return to the party. (Bernama pic)

NIBONG TEBAL: Umno president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi says his party is open to the return of any ex-member, including former economic affairs minister Mustapa Mohamed.

“The door to Umno is always open to those who want to come back,” he said when asked whether Mustapa, better known as Tok Pa, would be welcomed back.

Without specifically mentioning Mustapa, Zahid said that former Umno members who plan to rejoin the party must first be approved by the party’s disciplinary board and political bureau.

Last week, Bersatu president Muhyiddin Yassin said he did not know that Mustapa had left the party after retiring from politics.

Muhyiddin, the Perikatan Nasional chairman, said he respected the decision by the former Jeli MP but stated his belief that Mustapa was still a popular figure among voters.

Muhyiddin seemed to hold out hope that Mustapa would help PN’s campaigns in future by-elections, saying the former Umno man could still work with Bersatu. Mustapa left Umno and joined Bersatu in 2018.

He also believed that Mustapa did not plan on joining any other party but simply left Bersatu to make a full exit from politics.

Previously, FMT reported Kelantan Bersatu as saying it was prepared to field Mustapa and make way for former Umno secretary-general Annuar Musa in anticipation of possible by-elections for the Gua Musang and Jeli parliamentary seats.

However, Mustapa ruled this out, saying he had “retired” from politics and was no longer a member of Bersatu since Sept 30 last year.

When asked about the potential support for Perikatan Nasional’s candidate Abidin Ismail from young voters in the Sungai Bakap by-election, Zahid said he was confident the youths would back the government’s candidate.

“There are 5,105 Umno members in Sungai Bakap, and we will tap into their strength in canvassing for votes,” he said.

Abidin is in a straight fight with Pakatan Harapan’s Joohari Ariffin.

Zahid earlier officiated the Penang-level pre-Tahfiz programme for Tabika Kemas kindergartens, an initiative by the rural and regional development ministry.

The programme aims to provide young Muslim children with foundational religious education alongside their standard early education, to foster both spiritual and intellectual growth.