Azmi Hassan of Akademi Nusantara said Umno and the two former leaders should heed the Johor crown prince’s “call”, especially since his father, Sultan Ibrahim Sultan Iskandar is slated to be the next King.

He said a similar call by the current Yang di-Pertuan Agong, Sultan Abdullah Sultan Ahmad Shah, saw a unity government formed after the last general election (GE15) resulted in a hung parliament.

Khairy was sacked by Umno in January after being accused of breaching party discipline, while Shahril was suspended for six years.

Azmi acknowledged that the party is still led by those who took the decision to sack and suspend the duo.

“For me, a compromise is needed to protect their dignity and that of the Umno leaders,” he told FMT.

On Sunday, Tunku Ismail expressed hope that Khairy, a former Umno Youth chief, and Shahril, the party’s former information chief, would return to Umno as the country’s future depends on “young and capable” politicians.

“I want to see qualified people in the government or running this country. Politicians should not be judged only based on seniority, but also merit,” he said as a guest on the Keluar Sekejap podcast hosted by Khairy and Shahril.

Meanwhile, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM)’s Mazlan Ali believes Tunku Ismail wants both Khairy and Shahril to play a role in Anwar Ibrahim’s government.

“Everyone knows that Khairy and Shahril are progressive leaders and the future of Umno. They could help the prime minister by becoming part of the party again.”

He noted that Umno president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi has previously stated that the party’s doors are not closed to sacked or suspended members.