GERIK: There might still be hope for former Pasir Salak MP Datuk Seri Tajuddin Abdul Rahman to be reinstated as an Umno member.
Perak Umno chairman Datuk Seri Saarani Mohamad said, however, the decision is up to the party's supreme council.
ALSO READ: My heart still with Umno, says Tajuddin despite repeated rejection of suspension appeals
“Previously, there were some Umno members who were reinstated such as Datuk Lokman Noor Adam and Datuk Zaid Ibrahim.
“As the state chairman, I have no authority to approve or to reject Tajuddin’s appeal to rejoin the party,” he told reporters at the Gerik District Council's multipurpose hall here on Thursday (July 20).
Tajuddin was removed from the Umno supreme council in June last year and had his membership suspended for six years in October.
ALSO READ: Tajuddin rubbishes talk that he will be joining Perikatan
In January, the supreme council rejected his appeal against the suspension.
To date, he has submitted three appeals to revoke the suspension but all were rejected.
On Feb 17, Lokman had through his Facebook page shared a letter by the party secretary-general’s office stating that his expulsion from the party had been annulled.
On Feb 9, 2020, Umno sacked Lokman with the recommendation and approval of its political bureau.
Lokman, who was supreme council member prior to his expulsion, had criticised party president Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi over alleged remarks that Umno must work with Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad as PAS was doing so.
Zaid, who was ousted from Umno in 2008, rejoined the party last year with goals of reforming the party "from within".
He first joined Umno in 2000 where he contested and won the Kota Baru parliamentary seat during the 2004 General Election.
However, Umno dropped him as a candidate in GE12. Zaid was named a minister by then prime minister Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi but resigned from the Cabinet and was suspended from Umno in 2008.
In 2009, he joined PKR but left the party a year later.
Zaid then formed Parti Kesejahteraan Insan Tanah Air (Kita) in 2010 but resigned as its chief in 2012.
After Kita, Zaid joined DAP in 2017 for about three years, and left his fourth political party in 2020.
