KUALA LUMPUR – Umno President Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi has opened the door for former Bersatu MPs who originally came from Umno but later switched parties to return to the party.
According to Umno Supreme Council member Datuk Mohd Puad Zarkashi, Zahid made the remarks during a briefing yesterday, where the possibility of welcoming the MPs back into the Umno fold was discussed.
“In the president’s briefing yesterday, some portals misunderstood what was meant by opening and closing the doors of Umno,” Puad said in a Facebook post today.
“These MPs are welcomed back into the Umno fold, but there are conditions that must be agreed upon. That is what is meant by the doors not being opened too widely or closed too tightly,” he added.
Puad also noted that such a scenario is not impossible, given reports that Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin has lost control over Bersatu.
“If that happens, it could repeat the Semangat 46 scenario, where the party was eventually dissolved. It is therefore not impossible for the same to happen to Bersatu. That is why Muhyiddin stepped down from Perikatan Nasional (PN) earlier — it is a sign that he has lost control over Bersatu,” he explained.
Former Bersatu MPs who originally came from Umno include Datuk Seri Hamzah Zainudin, Datuk Seri Ronald Kiandee, Datuk Mas Ermieyati Samsudin, Datuk Rosol Wahid and Datuk Ikmal Hisham Abdul Aziz.
Bersatu is currently facing internal turmoil following the expulsion of several members, including Datuk Wan Saiful Wan Jan, Wan Ahmad Fayhsal Wan Ahmad Kamal, and most recently Datuk Seri Saifuddin Abdullah.
Muhyiddin is also reportedly under pressure over his leadership and the party’s direction. He resigned as chairman of Perikatan Nasional, effective January 1, 2026. — January 15, 2026