BATU PAHAT: Umno will consider a motion to reinstate suspended Umno senior leader, Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein, says Datuk Seri Mohamed Khaled Nordin (pic).
The Umno vice-president said the motion, which had been adopted by the Sembrong Umno division at its annual general meeting recently, will be discussed by the party’s national leadership.
“Every division will usually put forward motions during its meeting, and the motion from Sembrong is among those that were submitted or proposed by divisions across the country,” Mohamed Khaled told reporters here after opening the Batu Pahat Umno division annual meeting.
“That is just one motion from one division, out of all the divisions in Malaysia,” he said when asked to comment on the call for Hishammuddin, a former Umno vice-president and Cabinet Minister, to be reinstated.
However, Mohamed Khaled declined to confirm whether Umno had received an appeal from Hishammuddin regarding his suspension.
“Right now, there is a motion and we will consider it. Whether the individual involved has submitted an appeal, I’m not getting into that.”
During its delegates meeting on June 21, the Sembrong Umno division reportedly tabled a motion calling for the reinstatement of Hishammuddin, its former chief into the party’s leadership.
In his speech during the Sembrong meeting, Johor Mentri Besar Datuk Onn Hafiz Ghazi reportedly said Johor Umno would present the resolution to the party’s top leadership.
“As state Umno chairman, I will bring this resolution to the highest level,” Onn Hafiz reportedly said.
Sembrong Umno chief Datuk Abdul Ghani Abdul Rashid had said this was the second consecutive year the motion had been tabled.
Hishammuddin was suspended for six years starting Jan 27, 2023.
In his speech earlier, Mohamed Khaled urged all parties in the unity government to not accept individuals who hopped between them.
“We hope parties that are our friends do not accept any party-hoppers,” he said.
“If other parties refrain from doing so, we will be able to maintain a harmonious relationship among all parties that make up the unity government.”
Mohamed Khaled also reminded Umno members to remain loyal to the party and not follow the example of those who had defected.
“Before we face the people, we must first ensure that there is loyalty within our party.
“It is truly unfortunate that our party still has leaders who choose to jump ship. I believe they switch sides not because of conviction or struggle, but because of positions, titles, and personal gain,” he said.
Last month, Cabinet minister Tengku Datuk Seri Zafrul Abdul Aziz announced he was quitting Umno and that he was considering joining PKR.
Mohamed Khaled also told party members not to listen to those who criticised Umno for joining the unity government together with Pakatan.
