UMNO is open to taking back former members who regret quitting the party, says party president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi.

Zahid revealed yesterday that several members have expressed regret for quitting and have since been ostracised by the people.

“Some of them regret it, Noh Omar knows that they want to come back (to the party),” he said, referring to the Tanjong Karang MP and former minister.

“In Islam we say ‘talak’ three times to get a divorce. We can say the first and the second time but due process must apply for the third.

“Umno is open if they regret it and are now being ignored,” he said during the Muafakat Nasional Selangor ceramah in Shah Alam last night.

Zahid said it is saddening that former members quit the party but did not get the intended results and have instead been set aside by voters.

“When they go back to their state or parliamentary constituencies, people ignore them. When they go for Friday prayers, nobody greets them, as if they are discarded waste (najis mughallazah),” he said.

After Barisan Nasional lost in the 14th general election last year, many of its lawmakers quit the coalition not long after.

Last December, six Umno MPs announced that they have quit the party.

They were Hulu Terengganu MP Rosol Wahid, Mersing’s Abdul Latiff Ahmad, Tasik Gelugor’s Shabudin Yahaya, Larut’s Hamzah Zainudin, Sabak Bernam’s Fasiah Mohd Fakeh and Tanah Merah’s Ikmal Hisham Abdul Aziz.

Before that in September, then Umno leader Mustapa Mohamed had quit the party after 40 years and joined Bersatu.

This was followed by the resignation of then Puteri Umno leader Mas Ermieyati Samsudin on July 1 last year. She then joined Bersatu on December 13. – November 24, 2019.