THE prospects of fielding leaders who were previously expelled, suspended, or who had left the party in the upcoming general election will depend on their viability, says Ahmad Zahid Hamidi.

“Winnability will be the primary criterion for any state or parliamentary seat,” said the Umno president when asked whether these leaders might be granted another opportunity to participate in the next general election.

Ahmad Zahid, also the Chairman of Barisan Nasional, made this statement during a recent interview with selected media outlets.

Regarding the potential impact of reintegrating these leaders into the party, Ahmad Zahid noted that no empirical studies have been conducted to date. He added that many of these individuals have yet to engage with grassroots members.

He emphasised that fairness must be extended to them, providing an opportunity for these individuals to demonstrate their commitment to contributing to Umno.

On April 17, Umno approved the unconditional reinstatement of former Youth Chief Khairy Jamaluddin, former Vice President Hishammuddin Hussein, and Syed Hamid Albar.

Umno Secretary-General Asyraf Wajdi Dusuki confirmed the reinstatement of the three individuals’ party memberships via a Facebook post on the evening of Friday, April 17, following a leadership meeting held in Melaka.