KUALA LUMPUR, June 10 — Umno president Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi today said the party’s supreme council had received several written appeals from suspended members seeking their reinstatement to the party.

Without divulging the exact number, Zahid said the Umno disciplinary board will vet each application carefully.

"Many Umno friends who were suspended wanted to return to the party and they have applied to be reinstated as a member.

"A report will be prepared by the disciplinary board once they have examined the applications. It will then be given to the central committee to either reject or accept it. Only then will the supreme council receive it.

"We are open to the recommendations of the disciplinary board and the central committee,” he told reporters at a press conference after concluding the Umno general assembly 2023 at the World Trade Centre here.

Zahid said the applications did not involve those who were expelled.

"To this day, I haven’t received any response or appeal from those expelled from Umno to rejoin the party,” he said.

On January 27, the then Umno secretary-general Datuk Seri Ahmad Maslan, in a statement issued after a supreme council meeting, announced the sackings of supreme council member Tan Sri Noh Omar and former Youth chief Khairy Jamaluddin for breach of the party constitution.

Also sacked were five Umno members from the Pasir Gudang division, nine from the Putrajaya division, two from the Tanjung Karang division and 26 members from Pahang.

Sembrong Umno division chief Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein, meanwhile, was suspended for six years along with Umno Youth vice-chief Shahril Sufian Hamdan, Tebrau division chief Datuk Maulizan Bujang and Jempol division chief Datuk Seri Mohd Salim Mohd Sharif.

Ahmad said, among the offences committed, were standing as independent candidates, being candidates of parties other than Barisan Nasional (BN) and helping Opposition parties during the 15th general election (GE15).