UMNO president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said the party had accepted two applications to join Umno en bloc.
Zahid said one was Parti Ikatan Bangsa Malaysia, led by Kadir Sheikh Fadzir, but he did not name the second party.
“I have talked to (Tan Sri) Kadir Sheikh Fadzir, who wants to hand his party to us to be absorbed,” he said in his winding-up speech at the 2025 Umno General Assembly here on Saturday, adding that the applications will be studied by the newly-announced Commitee on Uniting the Race.
Zahid, who is also a deputy prime minister, also announced that Umno vice-president Mohamed Khaled Nordin had been appointed to lead the committee to ensure that the applications are processed according to Umno’s constitution and regulations.
He allayed concerns by Umno members over the possible candidacy of former party members accepted back into the party, stating that any decision would be made by him in the future.
“Yesterday, (Datuk Seri) Mohamad Hasan had a dialogue with several Umno members who voiced their concerns about the matter (being election candidates). InsyaAllah, I am still the Barisan Nasional chairman who will sign the letters of appointment, so the decision is mine.
“If by chance the seats are theirs but they join us, I will be the one making the decision (on who will contest),” he said.
