Khairy, the former health minister and three-term Rembau MP, was expelled from Umno in January 2023 for breaching party discipline during the 15th general election (GE15).

Reezal said he personally met Khairy last week while at a wedding in Perlis, which was also attended by Umno president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi.

“I was there during the banquet and sat with him. There’s only one thing I can tell you, Khairy still has a lot of love and affection for Umno,” he told FMT.

“I can confirm that.”

However, Reezal declined to comment on reports about Khairy’s possible return to the party.

“It’s not my decision. This is for the top leadership and Supreme Council (to decide). I cannot take the lead on this,” the Kepala Batas Umno chief said.

According to a Berita Harian report, Khairy is expected to rejoin Umno before the Sabah state election next month after reportedly obtaining Zahid’s “blessing” to return.

However, an Umno source told FMT that the party has yet to receive Khairy’s application to rejoin Umno.

The source also said Barisan Nasional (BN) is considering fielding Khairy as its candidate for the Kepala Batas parliamentary seat in the next general election – the seat previously held by his late father-in-law and former prime minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi.

BN lost the long-held Umno stronghold in GE15 when PAS’s Siti Mastura Muhammad defeated Reezal by 2,867 votes.

Reezal said he could not comment on speculation about Khairy’s possible candidacy but hoped that moves to bring him back into Umno would bear fruit.

FMT has contacted Khairy for comment.