It is quite natural for former Umno leaders to rejoin the party as Umno has always been the most effective political platform to air their political view, said Umno Supreme Council Member Ahmad Zahid Hamidi today.

"We don't have to persuade them to do so...this will happen naturally as in the case of Semangat46, and now Keadilan," he told malaysiakini .

Zahid, who was implicated by certain quarters for having a hand in the recent resignation of Keadilan Youth vice chairman, Hamdan Taha, said: "It has happened before, so by implication, it could happen again".

Zahid who is a former Pemuda Umno chief, was accused of trying to influence and persuade his "former followers" in Keadilan, including Hamdan to change their mind and relinquish their party posts.

"Since joining the other party, they became the shadow of their former self. This is why they returned to Umno after realising that there is no better place like Umno," he said.

He however denied any knowledge of what had happened in Keadilan, including Hamdan's resignation.

Zahid was alleged to have "successfully persuaded" Hamdan to relinquish his party post but to remain as ordinary member, to enable him to further persuade Zahid's other followers such as Zahid Mat Arip, Hanapiah Man and Saifuddin Nasution to return to Umno.

Other Keadilan leaders who have been linked to Zahid include a Keadilan Member of Parliament who is also a close friend of Hamdan.