KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 18 — Former Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia (Bersatu) vice-president Datuk Mohd Rafiq Naizamohideen confirmed he is going back to Umno, but only next month after its March 18 internal election.

The 37-year-old said he had applied to rejoin Umno a few weeks ago, and the party’s supreme council agreed to accept him back in its meeting last Thursday night.

"I realise my decision to join Umno now is not popular and members may not agree with or accept it.

"I would like to stress that my entry to Umno is not because Umno is now in the unity government because my friends and I made the decision not to be with Bersatu and to support Umno prior to the GE15 when it was unknown which party would become the government,” Mohd Rafiq said on Facebook yesterday.

He included a screenshot of a TV news report that Umno had accepted his application to rejoin.

"I am sincere, determined and committed to help and to fight with the Umno leadership, especially the Melaka Umno leadership, as well as the Tangga Batu division, in restoring the support and trust of the people towards Umno,” he added.

Mohd Rafiq left Umno in 2016 after being suspended for six years and dropped as an executive committee member in its Youth wing.

He was known to be a stout supporter of Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin who was formerly Umno deputy president before the latter co-founded Bersatu and became its president.

Mohd Rafiq resigned as the head of both the Melaka Perikatan Nasional coalition and Bersatu state chapter, following his failure to win the Teluk Mas state seat during the Melaka state election in 2021.

He quit Bersatu altogether after failing to be named as its Tangga Batu parliamentary candidate in the general election last November.