KOTA KINABALU: Sabah Umno has supported the party president’s call to welcome back former members, framing it as a step towards political maturity and renewal for the party.
Sabah Umno chairman Datuk Jafry Ariffin said the decision was aimed at reuniting members and strengthening the party’s internal cohesion, which he described as important for national unity and the country’s political stability.
He said that for Sabah, stable politics and ties with a national-level party were important to ensure the state’s interests continued to be represented at the federal level.
“This open approach also reflects Umno’s efforts as a political institution to strengthen its ranks in a more inclusive and forward-looking manner.
I hope this effort will help improve unity among members and further clarify Umno’s role in the national development agenda,” he said.
Jafry, who is also the state Tourism, Culture and Environment Minister, was responding to Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi’s announcement that Umno would open its doors to former members – whether expelled or suspended – to return without conditions.
He said that in the current challenging political climate, efforts to bring back former members were aimed at strengthening the organisation and drawing on their political experience.
Ahmad Zahid, who is also the Deputy Prime Minister, said the policy was part of the Rumah Bangsa initiative, which is also open to anyone who wishes to join the party.
Currently, two party leaders, Putatan MP Datuk Ir Shahelmey Yahya and Kalabakan MP Datuk Andi Muhammad Suryady Bandy, remain suspended after declaring support for the Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS) government when Sabah Umno withdrew from the coalition in 2023.
Following the hung results of last November’s state election, Sabah Umno later returned to support the GRS-led government.
