KUALA LUMPUR (March 16): Khairy Jamaluddin, looking towards a return to frontline politics, is applying to rejoin the United Malays National Organisation three years after he was expelled from the party also known as Umno.

He has submitted his appeal to Umno president Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, who said the request is expected to be referred to the party’s Jawatankuasa Penyatuan Rumah Bangsa, chaired by Defence Minister Datuk Seri Mohamed Khaled Nordin, for further review and recommendation.

What has passed should be allowed to heal, Zahid said in a Facebook post on Monday after receiving the appeal letter. "What matters most is finding a path towards unity, rather than allowing divisions to continue separating us."

Khairy’s return comes at a time when Umno has been promoting its broader ‘Rumah Bangsa’ initiative, which Zahid described as an effort to rebuild unity within the party grappling with an uncertain future.

The initiative aims towards “reuniting those who were once separated, bringing closer those who had grown apart, and gathering us once again as one large family in this shared struggle” within the Umno umbrella.

Umno is the leading party within the Barisan Nasional coalition, a key partner in Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim's administration that also consists of Pakatan Harapan, Gabungan Parti Sarawak, and Gabungan Rakyat Sabah.

The party is now torn between trying to claw back its core Malay voters from PAS and staying with the governing coalition that offered it a lifeline following a devastating defeat in recent general elections.

“It is my hope that Rumah Bangsa will serve as a foundation to reunite hearts that were once divided, strengthen our ranks, and restore Umno’s strength as the principal political pillar for Malays and Muslims in this country,” he added.

Khairy was among 44 members expelled from Umno back in January 2023 following Malaysia’s 2022 general election.

His removal came after he openly criticised the party leadership for allowing the top two leadership posts — president and deputy president — to go uncontested during the party’s internal elections that year.

At the time, Khairy had been expected by some party members to challenge Zahid for the presidency, setting up what many believed could have been a closely fought contest.

Since his expulsion, Khairy has remained visible in Malaysia’s public discourse after he started a podcast, Keluar Sekejap, together with Shahril Hamdan, where the duo delved into current issues plaguing the country.

The podcast, along with his part-time role as a deejay on Hot FM, largely kept him in the public eye.

Khairy first rose to prominence during his decade-long tenure as Umno Youth chief from 2008 to 2018, building a strong support base within the party’s grassroots divisions. He later served in several ministerial roles, including as Malaysia’s health minister from 2021 to 2022 under former prime minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob.

Khairy did not retain the Rembau seat ahead of the 2022 election after Umno fielded Mohamad Hasan, then the Rembau Umno division chief, as its candidate.

Shortly before nomination day, Khairy was instead given the party’s ticket to contest the Sungai Buloh parliamentary constituency in Selangor, where he ultimately lost to R Ramanan of the People's Justice Party (PKR).