Political veteran Rais Yatim has dismissed the possibility of returning to Umno, even as his current party, Bersatu, faces significant internal turmoil.
The former Senate president remarked that Umno, a party he served for decades until his expulsion in 2018, has lost its appeal and lustre among the public.
He told FMT that Umno no longer holds any gleam for thinking Malays and confirmed he has no desire to regain his membership. In doing so, he rejected the party’s Rumah Bangsa initiative, which aims to welcome back former members who had previously left.
Disputed expulsion and party criticism
Rais also contended that his original sacking from Umno was invalid. He claimed the decision was made by then Umno secretary-general Tengku Adnan Tengku Mansor, rather than through the proper channels of the party’s disciplinary board.
The veteran politician noted that his expulsion was triggered simply because he advocated for Low Taek Jho to be arrested and brought back for trial in April 2018.
Despite his stance on Umno, Rais did not hold back his criticism of Bersatu. He suggested that the party should no longer use its name, which means united in Malay, as it does not reflect the current reality of the organization.
He described the party as being completely broken in every aspect except for its name. The former Negeri Sembilan menteri besar has been increasingly vocal about the internal fractures within the party leadership.
Ties to Bersatu and leadership fallout
A former six-term MP for Jelebu, Rais held various federal ministerial portfolios throughout his career and was recognized as a close ally of former prime minister Mahathir Mohamad.
His departure from Umno occurred in May 2018 alongside other veterans, Rafidah Aziz and the late Daim Zainuddin. They were removed after being critical of the party and showing support for Pakatan Harapan during the 14th general election campaign.
After joining Bersatu, Rais served as the head of its Negeri Sembilan chapter. However, he resigned from all party positions last month following the removal of 17 leaders, including deputy president Hamzah Zainudin.
This mass sacking took place during a leadership struggle between Hamzah and party president Muhyiddin Yassin. While Rais remains a member of Bersatu, he has continued to criticize Muhyiddin, specifically regarding the ongoing friction with Perikatan Nasional chairman Ahmad Samsuri Mokhtar.
