Why I rejoined Umno - Ezam

"My decision is based purely on my conviction that Umno now is capable of bringing about the necessary reforms."

Mohamed Ezam Mohd Nor, the former Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) Youth chief, today explained why he has rejoined Umno one year after leaving the party he had helped to set up.

Talk of Ezam rejoining Umno has been rife for sometime and he had all along denied it as mere rumours. So when he finally did it - yesterday - it was really mind boggling. Many are simply curious. After the denials - why did he rejoin Umno ...and why now? After all Ezam, was expelled from Umno for his harsh criticism of the party 10 years ago. At the time, Ezam was the deputy head of Umno Petaling Jaya Selatan.

At the press conference at the Shah Village Hotel in Petaling Jaya, Ezam answered why he had done so - now.

He said it is because he believes in the government's post-March 8 anti-corruption reforms.

“Because he’s (Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi) only introduced the (reform) policies (on the judiciary and the Anti-Corruption Agency) in the last few weeks. I’ve never seen any prime minister do that in the past 10, 20 years I was in government,” Ezam was quoted by Malaysian Insider.

"I’m joining Umno now, not in the strongest position. My decision is based purely on my conviction that Umno now is capable of bringing about the necessary reforms."

Initially, he said, Keadilan was set up as a multiracial Malay-based party, but slowly, it dropped the "Malay-based" aspect and just became a multiracial party.

Ezam said that to lose that foundation is "a big sin." "It crossed the line," he said.

Seven other former PKR youth chiefs will be joining him, according to Malaysiakini.

They are Annuar Shaari (former PKR Youth chief for Permatang Pauh and private secretary to party de facto leader Anwar Ibrahim), SD Johari Mohd Yasin (former Selangor PKR Youth chief), Mohd Nazmi Rosli (former Selangor PKR Youth secretary), Ahmad Daud Che Ghani (former PKR Perlis Youth chief), Azwan Din Hamzah (former PKR Youth executive council member), Khairul Annuar Ramli (former PKR Kedah Youth chief) and Abdul Ghani Haron (former PKR Youth executive councillor member).

Annuar is expected to submit his membership form to Deputy Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak this afternoon in Parliament.

Ezam rejoined Umno yesterday after submitting his membership form to Abdullah.