KUALA LUMPUR: Former Umno vice president Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein said the "invitation" by party president Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi to the sacked and suspended members of the party to rejoin Umno was absurd and did not make any sense.
The Sembrong member of parliament said he also doubted the sincerity of Zahid's statement.
Citing his own suspension, Hishammuddin said that to this day, he was still unsure what the actual reason was for the action taken against him.
"As far as I know, he said we have to apply to be readmitted. Secondly, we have to take it to the Disciplinary Committee but for me, until today I don't know the reason for the suspension.
"When I was first suspended, the Disciplinary Committee never called for an investigation and for me to answer. So I don't even know if what was expressed recently was sincere or not.
"After all, it doesn't make sense to me, what is proposed may be a reaction, an expression from below (the grassroots)," he told the media when met at the Parliament lobby today.
Hishammuddin was responding to Zahid's statement when addressing the 2023 Umno General Assembly recently, where he insisted that the party was always open to accepting members who are subject to disciplinary action, including those who were suspended or sacked.
Commenting further on whether his other compatriots who were also suspended or fired would accept the invitation, Hishammuddin said it was up to them.
He said those who were punished by being suspended or sacked did not actually suffer any losses.