Ahmad Zahid Hamidi
Upon returning from the United Kingdom in 1989, Hishammuddin joined UMNO. He rose through the ranks of UMNO's youth wing in the 1990s, becoming its national chief in 1998. He assumed the position at a time when UMNO Youth had been torn apart by the sacking of the Deputy Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, who was popular among young UMNO members. Hishammuddin's predecessor, Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, had been an Anwar supporter.