KUALA LUMPUR: Umno has received many applications from those seeking to return to the party, says secretary-general Datuk Dr Asyraf Wajdi Dusuki.
However, he said any decision on the applications would be made based only on the framework outlined by the party’s top leadership.
“I can tell you that we have indeed received many applications. That is why we are waiting for the resolution from this general assembly,” he said after visiting the media centre for the 79th Umno General Assembly here today.
“We in Umno welcome everyone. If we read and understand the Umno president’s policy speech, this house is open to everyone.
“Having said that, it is not for me to decide who will be accepted,” he said.
In his policy speech during the opening of the assembly yesterday, party president Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi announced the setting up of a committee known as the Jawatankuasa Penyatuan Rumah Bangsa.
The committee will handle applications for entry or re-entry from any party, whether on an individual basis or as a bloc.
Zahid said the committee would serve as a platform to reunite those who had previously strayed from the party, stressing that Umno must remain open, inclusive and rooted in its original struggles.
Asyraf said the Rumah Bangsa concept was aimed at opening up a broader space for unity, in line with current political realities.
He said experience in the Sabah General Election showed that Umno could not afford to be complacent with membership numbers alone, even though it continued to secure strong voter support.
“Since the formation of the nation, Umno has understood that this country does not belong to just one race or one religion,” he said.
© New Straits Times Press (M) Bhd
