Khairy Jamaluddin bids to rejoin Umno after 3 years as Zahid accepts his Rumah Bangsa application.

PETALING JAYA: Former health minister Khairy Jamaluddin has taken a formal step toward reclaiming his place in Umno, submitting an appeal to rejoin the party more than three years after he was expelled from its ranks.

In a Facebook post, Umno president Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi confirmed that he personally received Khairy’s written appeal during a recent meeting between the two, and that the application would be channelled to the party’s Rumah Bangsa committee — a body chaired by Umno vice-president Khaled Nordin — for deliberation in accordance with the party’s constitution.

Reflecting on the development, Zahid invoked the spirit of the initiative in a Facebook post. The Barisan Nasional chairman described the move as embodying the true meaning of Rumah Bangsa — reuniting those who had drifted apart and drawing back those who had strayed, all under a common cause.

Khairy, who served in several Cabinet portfolios and was previously Umno Youth chief, was expelled from the party in January 2023 after being found to have breached party discipline during the 15th General Election campaign.

He had publicly voiced criticism of Zahid during the campaign period, particularly after being fielded in the Pakatan Harapan-leaning urban constituency of Sungai Buloh — a seat he went on to lose to PKR’s Datuk Seri R. Ramanan by a margin of 2,693 votes.

Since his expulsion, Khairy has carved out a presence in media and public commentary, co-hosting the widely followed political podcast Keluar Sekejap. His intention to return to Umno had been building for some time — he first publicly signalled the move on the podcast in early March 2026, directing his press secretary to begin drafting a formal application after Zahid announced that Umno was opening its doors unconditionally to all former members under the Rumah Bangsa initiative.

Zahid later confirmed he had met Khairy on multiple occasions to discuss the matter, and that the party had no reservations about welcoming him back.

The Rumah Bangsa initiative, announced during Ramadan, was framed by Umno as a gesture of reconciliation — forgiving past differences and offering former members, whether expelled, suspended, or simply absent, a path back into the fold. The committee helmed by Datuk Seri Khaled Nordin will now process Khairy’s application under the procedures set out in the party’s constitution.

 The Sun Malaysia