JOHOR BARU, Nov 18 — Umno will not allow its three sacked rebel leaders to re-join the party, even if they win their respective seats in the 15th general election (GE15), said Umno veteran Tan Sri Shahrir Abdul Samad.

He said Umno had no plans to allow them to back into its ranks as the three men were expelled over serious disciplinary breaches.

“You can’t (take them back into Umno) ... I don’t think there is a need for that.

“We are not so desperate as to bring them back to the party, even if they win in GE15,” he told reporters after attending a dialogue session organised by the Athar Foundation at the Johor Cultural and Sports Club here last night.

Also present was Johor Mentri Besar Datuk Onn Hafiz Ghazi and Johor Baru parliamentary candidate for GE15 Johan Arifin Mohd Ropi.

Shahrir was commenting on party rebels Datuk Seri Shahidan Kassim, Datuk Seri Ismail Abd Muttalib and Datuk Zahidi Zainul Abidin — who will contest against Barisan Nasional (BN) in GE15.

During Nomination Day on November 5, Shahidan, who is the incumbent Arau MP, and Ismail, who is the incumbent Maran MP, confirmed they will defend their respective seats on Perikatan Nasional’s (PN) ticket.

Meanwhile, the third member of the group, incumbent Padang Besar MP Zahidi will also be defending his seat, as well as the Titi Tinggi state seat in Perlis, as an independent candidate.

According to Umno’s constitution, the party has the right to sack any member who contests on a ticket other than that of the party, including those who are proposers and supporters of candidates representing the Opposition.

On the trio’s chances in GE15, the 72-year-old former seven-term MP said he cannot tell how well they would fare.

He said generally the three would face difficulties as they have gone against the party.

“But then, of course, party warlords have money, which is one of the important things (when facing an election),” said Shahrir, in reference to the three men who were once Umno divisional warlords.

Shahrir, who himself left Umno and stood as an independent candidate in 1988, said the circumstances then were different from the recent situation triggered by the three rebels.

“The big issue was about the judiciary in 1988 and how (then prime minister) Tun Dr Mahathir (Mohamad) did something for his own political interests.

“He wanted to form Umno Baru with a small group of select individuals, but that is not what Umno is.

“In the end, we fought, and Dr Mahathir had to give way to Umno to be what it is,” he said, regarding Umno’s 1987 party election that caused the party to be declared unlawful, and later sparked the Malaysian constitutional crisis in 1988.

During the crisis, Shahrir resigned as MP and contested the ensuing Johor Baru by-election as an independent candidate and won.

He returned to Umno in 1989 and later into full-time politics in the 2004 national polls, retaining the Johor Baru seat.