KUALA LUMPUR, July 14 — Former attorney general Tan Sri Mohamed Apandi Ali said today his appointment into the Umno supreme council feels like a homecoming.
Describing the appointment as an honour, Apandi told New Straits Times that he was an Umno member a long time ago, but left after he joined the Bar Council.
“I am now able to exercise my right to associate with a party,” he was quoted saying, referring to his right of association, guaranteed by Article 10 of the Constitution, after leaving the civil service.
“A long time ago, I was a member of Umno. But when I joined the Bar Council, I left the party [then],” he added.
Apandi had referred to his return using the Malay proverb “bagai ikan pulang ke lubuk”, which describes someone who never forgets his home, only to return there after long travels.
He also reportedly said that he would now help Umno rejuvenate itself in order to stay relevant.
Apandi was among the 11 names appointed as members of the Umno supreme council today, including former ministers Datuk Seri Anifah Aman and Datuk Seri Tajuddin Abdul Rahman.
He was reportedly an Umno member between 1982 and 1991, before joining the Bar Council from 1991 until 2003.
