Hamzah rejects possible Umno return

 The opposition leader says he is focused on his 'Reset' movement, which he claims is backed by many parties.

Opposition leader Hamzah Zainudin with leaders of several political parties, including Bersatu, Gerakan, MIPP, MIC, Pejuang and PAS, at a breaking of fast event organised by the Larut MP.

PUTRAJAYA:

 Opposition leader Hamzah Zainudin has dismissed the possibility of returning to Umno nearly eight years after leaving the party, saying his focus is on his “Reset” political movement.

“There’s no need to return (to Umno),” he told reporters at a breaking of fast event he organised here tonight.

Instead, the former Bersatu deputy president called on all parties, including Umno, to work with him under his “Reset” agenda, saying many parties were already supporting this movement.

“As you can see here, many parties are with me. So I want to focus on the people’s future. What’s important to me is that everyone agrees that we need a political reset,” he said.

Those at the event included Perikatan Nasional leaders like Gerakan president Dominic Lau, Malaysian Indian People’s Party president P Punithan, PAS central committee member Awang Hashim, and Bersatu vice-president Ronald Kiandee.

Also present were MIC president SA Vigneswaran and Pejuang president Mukhriz Mahathir.

Last week, Umno president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said the party’s doors were “unconditionally” open to former members who had been sacked or suspended, and that all past mistakes would be forgiven in the spirit of Ramadan.

Several former Umno leaders have said they were not interested in rejoining the party, including Mukhriz and former secretary-general Annuar Musa, but ex-Umno Youth chief Khairy Jamaluddin expressed interest in returning to the party.

Hamzah was among those who left Umno after Barisan Nasional’s fall from power in 2018. He joined Bersatu in February 2019.

He was sacked from Bersatu on Feb 13 at the height of a leadership tussle with party president Muhyiddin Yassin. - FMT