National Council of Professors fellow Azmi Hassan said welcoming back the likes of former Umno Youth chief Khairy Jamaluddin and former vice-president Hishammuddin Hussein would augur well for the party.
Khairy was sacked, and Hishammuddin was suspended for six years in 2023 for breaching party discipline.
“Zahid’s presidency is secure even if these two former leaders were to return, as the deputy prime minister has entrenched himself in the Supreme Council and respective wings,” Azmi told FMT, referring to the current crop of leaders aligned to Zahid.
He said any change in leadership would only occur if Zahid were to step down voluntarily.
Azmi said the return of these former party leaders could strengthen the party as they still command a strong following.
“Welcoming them back shows that both sides have reconciled.
“It also gives the impression that all is well in Umno and that the party is looking at making a strong comeback, minus the bickering we are witnessing in Bersatu,” he said.
Last Sunday, Zahid said Umno was open to welcoming back sacked or suspended members like Khairy and Hishammuddin if they prove their commitment to the party.
He said this after former Pasir Salak MP Tajuddin Abdul Rahman had his six-year suspension lifted last week.
Awang Azman Pawi of Universiti Malaya agreed that the return of Khairy and Hishammuddin would not be a threat to Zahid’s leadership since support for the duo within the party had “weakened considerably”.
However, he felt that Umno should prioritise enacting structural reforms to enhance its grassroots leadership as well as strengthen the party’s ideology.
“Putting the spotlight on welcoming back certain individuals will only shift attention away from the much-needed reform efforts, which are necessary to ensure Umno’s relevance in the current political landscape,” he said.
Political scientist Wong Chin Huat of Sunway University expressed scepticism that the sacked or suspended Umno members would return to the party despite Zahid’s willingness to welcome them.
“Their return will not happen while Zahid remains party president because they would not make any admission that their sacking or suspension was justified.
“Neither would Zahid accept their return without such admission,” he said.
Wong said the likes of Khairy and the others would have a much better future in a post-Zahid Umno or at least after the 16th general election, adding that there was “no rush” to return to the party.