Ezam u-turned!

... or rather returned, to Umno. Surprising? What else is surprising anymore?

I would tend to agree with Wan Azizah's reaction that it was 'strange' or was it 'puzzling' after all that he had suffered for Anwar and reformasi.

The immediate reaction from the layman seems to be 'if you can't beat them, join them'! So what is going to happen to the 600+ pages of corruption report submitted? Neutralised by Pak Lah's offer. How many people get to meet PM for 30 minutes before having his application form accepted? Anyone believe that Pak Lah did not offer any post? Another of his lies?

This is from The Malaysian Insider:

KUALA LUMPUR, May 28 — The New Straits Times called it the RM64,000 question in an article on Monday: will former Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) youth chief Mohamad Ezam Mohd Noor rejoin Umno?

The question was finally answered this afternoon by no less than the prime minister himself. Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, who is also president of Umno, welcomed Ezam back to the party today.

In a short press conference at his office in Parliament, the prime minister jokingly asked Ezam if he was joining Umno for life this time when the former PKR leader handed him his party application.

While he declined to speak to the press, Ezam was beaming happily next to the PM throughout the press conference. On whether Ezam was offered any posts in the party, the PM said no and that Ezam had also not asked for any.

And when someone asked how Umno could take Ezam back as he had been highly critical of the party in the past, the PM said, "Mungkin dia insaf (he has repented)."

As for the other questions -- Will Ezam be contesting in the party elections at the end of the year? What can he bring to the party this time round? What is his agenda? – well, only time or the man himself can tell.

Ezam will be holding a press conference tomorrow where we are sure he will do more than just smile.

Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak, meanwhile, has also welcomed Ezam back to the fold.