Some welcome him back, others see the need to close ranks, yet others say he has to change his style.
Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said his return to helm Umno is not connected to the purported attempts to stop him from retaining the top post in the party.
Rather, he feels that he needed to continue his responsibility tasked on him by Umno members when they elected him a year ago.
“Being away for six months is long enough. It is time for me to come back and lead Umno as its president because that is what I have been entrusted to do.
“Umno’s struggle must go on, and as president, it is my responsibility to lead the party and hold it together to face challenges. This is the time where we move collectively and together,” he told The Star yesterday.
On the proposal to amend the party constitution so that leaders with court cases like him and former president Datuk Seri Najib Razak do not retain their positions in the party, Zahid said he was not worried about it.
“What needs to be done now is to ensure undivided loyalty by Umno members for the party. The party needs their support and loyalty, especially in these trying and challenging times,” he said.
His first order of business as president yesterday was to meet his deputy Mohamad Hasan, secretary-general Tan Sri Annuar Musa, information chief Datuk Dr Shamsul Anuar Nasarah and senior staff at the party headquarters.
Zahid said he would be chairing the Umno supreme council meeting at the end of the month and would be kept busy with invites to launch division meetings.
“I had 10 divisions inviting me before I made the announcement. Now I have 30 others requesting me to open their meetings,” he said.
He believed the court cases that he was facing would not interfere with his duties as Umno president.
“When I left, there were 47 charges against me. Now the number has risen to 87. But I should not abandon my responsibility because of this,” he said.
Several Umno leaders hailed Zahid’s decision to resume the duties of party president, but also urged unity.
Kedah Umno liaison committee chairman Datuk Seri Jamil Khir Baharom called on Umno members and leaders to close ranks following Zahid’s announcement that he has resumed the duties of party president.
“The party’s leadership should be seen as complete and on a firmer standing in facing various challenges following the return of the president.
“To be a credible Opposition, the party must be united in facing the Pakatan Harapan government,” he said.
“We must be firm in our belief that we will be able to overcome all challenges if we stay united,” he said.
Penang Umno chief Datuk Musa Sheikh Fadzir said Zahid has the right to resume the president’s duties as he had not resigned.
“We hope he will resume the efforts in revitalising the party.
“We also thank deputy president Datuk Seri Mohamad Hassan for what he has done in the president’s absence,” he said.
The cooperation between the president, deputy president, leaders and all party members is vital towards ensuring the success of the party, he added.
Perak Umno liaison committee chairman Datuk Saarani Mohamad said the committee accepts Zahid’s decision to resume the duties of a president.
“His decision is in line with the mandate given by Umno delegates at the grassroots level to him as party president.
“All party members at all levels should respect and show their support to him,” he said when contacted.
Perak Umno is also confident that Zahid will inject renewed vigour to the party especially at a time when Umno and PAS are actively pursuing the “ummah” unity agenda.
Zahid was one of those who engineered the pact between the two biggest Malay-based parties, he added.
“We believe Umno will regain its strength and influence in wooing voters in the next general election through the support and cooperation among the party’s leadership and members at all levels.
“We will continue to work hard with the party president as well as the rest of the leadership in strengthening the party and wresting Perak away from Pakatan,” he said.
Temerloh Umno division chief Datuk Seri Mohd Sharkar Shamsudin said he hoped that Zahid’s return would spark the party’s improvement.
“We hope that he can lead the party towards greater heights as well as improving it,” he said.
Subang Umno division leader Armand Azha Abu Hanifah said Umno leaders must accept Zahid’s return and give him their support to ensure the party’s alliance with PAS works effectively.
“I hope our members will not be constantly fighting on social media. We should be loyal to the party leadership.
“Our focus is to strengthen the unity of our people and defend our race, religion and nation,” he said.
The Kelantan and Sabah Umno chapters openly welcomed Zahid’s return, saying that it was in accordance with the mandate given by the members who chose him as their party president last year.
“Kelantan Umno is confident that Zahid will continue to work closely with PAS,” said state chairman Ahmad Jazlan Yaakub.
Sabah Umno chief Bung Moktar Radin said the state chapter had faith the party will be strengthened by Zahid’s return.
Umno grassroots welcomed back Zahid but they want him to change his leadership style so that it does not jeopardise the revival of the party.
Zahid’s quick temper and rash actions can be problematic for the party, they said.
“I hope that after six months of rest, he will be calmer in making decisions and issuing statements. He needn’t be so very vocal and critical in his speeches.
“Work diligently with the party’s supreme council, with our Barisan Nasional component partners, and with PAS. There must be more action than mere talk,” Wan Indra Putra Ahmad told The Malaysian Insight.
The Shah Alam Umno division deputy chief cited Zahid’s remarks last week on seat allocations between Umno and PAS in Penang as an example of the president’s tendency to jump the gun. He said Zahid’s statement in Penang was premature.
Not everyone, however, is pleased about Zahid’s return.
Umno Arau Youth chief Syed Atif Syed Abu Bakar said the former deputy prime minister must explain why he had returned from leave.
He added he was informed by religious leaders that Zahid had said that he would only come back to helm Umno after a “big event” had taken place.
“We would like to know what big event he was talking about. Has it happened and is that why he’s back?”
Syed Atif said without an explanation, party members would be left to speculate among themselves.
Zahid’s return may even be considered as unnecessary by some, with critics claiming that he had done absolutely nothing of note ever since he won the presidency by default last year after scandal-plagued Najib stepped down.
Umno and BN had even won three by-elections since, and Zahid’s return now is seen by some members as taking the easy way out to lead the party while it is on a high.
Some are also anxious that the Registrar of Societies will be looking for any excuse to de-register Umno, and having Zahid, who is currently facing 87 charges of corruption and abuse of power, will just expedite the matter.
If anything, Zahid’s return will not wash away an impending fracture in the party but instead further split the crack, as his own loyalists will likely not want Tok Mat’s faction to play any significant role in the party.