Opposition leader Hamzah Zainudin suggests Umno could be part of a national ‘reset’ but firmly dismisses any possibility of him rejoining the party.

PUTRAJAYA: Opposition leader Datuk Seri Hamzah Zainudin said Umno could play a role in a broader national “reset”, as he reiterated his call for political cooperation to address challenges facing the country.

Hamzah said strengthening ties across political divides was important and stressed that his efforts were not meant to favour any specific party.

“When I mentioned strengthening silaturahim, it gives the impression that I do not favour any party, including Umno.

“But if the question is whether I am joining Umno or not, you can see there are many parties that are with me (at the event).

“I will consider what is best for the future of the people,” he told reporters after an iftar event here.

The Larut MP said the “reset” initiative was about starting afresh to address the country’s problems and correct past mistakes.

“Some people have asked me what ‘reset’ means. I explained that a reset is something that allows us to start again.

“If we can start again, then we erase the old,” he said.

Hamzah added that correcting past mistakes was key to ensuring the country moves forward.

“What is certain is that what we need is a reset. What we need is to correct all the mistakes that have occurred,” he said.

He also suggested that Umno could be part of efforts to resolve national challenges.

“Of course, Umno is one of the members that should be part of this struggle to ensure that everything that has happened can be resolved properly,” he said.

When asked again whether he intended to rejoin Umno in the near future, Hamzah gave a brief response.

“No need to join,” he said.

Speculation about possible cooperation between Hamzah and Umno has intensified after Umno president Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi confirmed that Hamzah was among several political leaders he met in Bangkok to discuss issues concerning Malay and Muslim unity.

Ahmad Zahid had also called on former members to return to the party and rejoin the Rumah Bangsa initiative.

Hamzah maintained that he was free to meet any political leader, noting that he still holds the position of Opposition leader.

He also dismissed claims by Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin that he had betrayed Bersatu after meeting Zahid, describing the allegation as baseless.

 The Sun Malaysia