Zahid ‘gracious’ during meeting, says KJ

2026-03-18 - 15:40

Former health minister Khairy Jamaluddin said he met Ahmad Zahid Hamidi last Sunday to ask the Umno president to ‘reactivate’ his membership. (Facebook pic) PETALING JAYA: Khairy Jamaluddin says Umno president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi was “gracious” during a recent meeting, despite Khairy bracing for a dressing down. Khairy, a former minister who held various portfolios, was sacked from Umno in January 2023 for breaching party discipline during the 2022 general election. The former three-term Rembau MP had been openly critical of Zahid in the lead-up to the election, especially after Barisan Nasional fielded him to contest the urban Pakatan Harapan stronghold of Sungai Buloh. Speaking on his Keluar Sekejap podcast today, Khairy said he met Zahid last Sunday to ask the Umno president to “reactivate” his membership. “I didn’t ask to become a new member, but for my termination to be cancelled,” said Khairy, who applied to rejoin Umno on Monday. “The meeting went well for one-and-a-half to two hours. I was bracing myself for a bit of a bollocking, but he was gracious.” He said Zahid spoke at length about his plans for Umno and preparations for the upcoming elections, adding that the Umno president “smiled” when Khairy mentioned that he would continue with his Keluar Sekejap podcast even if he returns to Umno. Khairy, a former Umno Youth chief, also said he has no intention of holding any key positions in Umno if his application to rejoin the party is successful. He also revealed that he had turned down multiple offers to join other parties after being sacked from Umno. “As an Umno member, I can be quite honest about what is happening in the party. We are free to express what we want, but not cross certain lines,” he told his co-host, Shahril Hamdan. “I did not join any other party (after being sacked), even though I received offers – directly or indirectly – from almost all the political parties in Malaysia. “I said ‘no’ because my first choice was to return to Umno.”