Former Umno Supreme Council member Datuk Seri Mohamed Nazri Aziz has not ruled out a return to active politics in the 16th General Election (GE16), saying he is prepared to contest again if called upon by the party.
Nazri, 72, who chose not to defend his Padang Rengas parliamentary seat in GE15, said he remains the Umno division chief for Padang Rengas and is open to making a comeback.
“I am still the Padang Rengas Umno division chief. We will see how it goes,” he told Berita Harian.
The former law minister represented Padang Rengas for six consecutive terms before stepping aside in the last election. He also previously served as Malaysia’s ambassador to the United States, a post he concluded in February last year.
In GE15, Padang Rengas — long considered a Barisan Nasional stronghold — was won by Perikatan Nasional. PN candidate Azahari Hasan secured 12,931 votes, defeating BN’s Mohd Ariff Abdul Majid, who garnered 9,885 votes, and Pakatan Harapan’s Muhammad Kamil Abdul Munim with 7,062 votes.
Last year, Nazri had said he had no intention of returning to politics, noting that he preferred to end his career on a high note.
“Do I want to spoil it? You never know what could happen. I could even lose,” he was quoted as saying by the New Straits Times at the time.
Commenting on the possibility of Umno renewing cooperation with PAS under Muafakat Nasional, Nazri said such a move would only be viable after GE16. He warned that forming an alliance before the election could further weaken Umno’s prospects in Kelantan, Kedah, Perlis and Terengganu.
“Umno failed to win any seats in those four states in GE15. Cooperating with PAS before the election would mean Umno closes for good there,” he said, adding that while cooperation may be possible in the future, careful strategy is crucial.
