UMNO welcomes former members unconditionally with a “forgive and forget” approach to strengthen party and Malay unity
PONTIAN: UMNO’s Rumah Bangsa initiative imposes no conditions on returning members, operating on a principle of “forgive and forget” to fortify party and Malay unity.
Supreme Council member Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Maslan described the platform as a noble unifying idea. He stated the party is opening its doors wide to former members who were sacked, suspended, or who left.
“We do not impose any conditions. No one needs to apologise to anyone. We want to forgive and forget,” Ahmad Maslan told Bernama. He warned that continually revisiting past issues would deter people from returning.
The decision to rejoin rests entirely with the individual, according to the Rumah Bangsa Committee member. “Whoever wants to come in, come in. If you don’t want to, that’s fine,” he said.
This unconditional approach was confirmed by UMNO president Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi last Friday. Ahmad Maslan cited the 1996 dissolution of Parti Melayu Semangat 46 as a historical precedent.
On that occasion, all its members were readmitted into UMNO en bloc without conditions. He added that the Rumah Bangsa spirit aligns with Ramadan’s emphasis on forgiveness for a greater struggle.
“Perhaps they (former members) have also realised their respective mistakes,” Ahmad Maslan said. He expressed a desire to forget the past to strengthen the party’s collective mission.
