UMNO has to move forward and prepare for the upcoming general election without jailed former prime minister Najib Razak, who was the party’s main voice in rebutting the opposition on social media, grassroots leaders said.

They said the Umno should start looking for other leaders take over, particularly on social media, now that Najib is no longer the party’s voice.

Hulu Langat Umno division chief Johan Abdul Aziz said the party cannot wallow in its own misery and depend on Najib sentiment to win at the next polls.

“Umno has to move on. We are not a party of one individual. We have a president, a deputy president, a supreme council of capable leaders. We have to come up with a new strategy,” he told The Malaysian Insight.

Johan, who sits on the supreme council, said the party’s immediate task was to find a voice to fill the void that Najib has left following his incarceration.

“We have a platform: the Barisan Nasional Communications (Komunikasi BN). It may not have the numbers of Najib’s ‘Bossku’ campaign but it is a start,” he said while noting that Najib did his social media work on his own, without any party directive.

Najib is currently serving a 12-year prison sentence for money laundering, criminal breach of trust and abuse of power in misappropriating SRC International funds.

Najib will also have to pay a RM210 million fine, in default of which he will have to serve another five years in prison.

Umno youth executive council member Bastien Onn said Umno had to buck up and address the void left by Najib’s incarceration.

“Definitely this is a big void. We have lost a big voice in countering the opposition but we have to move on and start looking at our other party leaders,” he said.

Bastien pointed out that Umno had leaders equally as capable as Najib, highlighting deputy president Mohamad Hasan, vice president Mohamed Khaled Nordin, secretary-general Ahmad Maslan and Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob.

“To say only Najib could answer the public’s questions is flawed.

“It is true he was replying consistently but there were Umno ministers who were doing this too.

“It was just that they speak based on their portfolios in the cabinet,” he said.

He noted Najib had an advantage because some of the issues raised on social media occurred during his time in office.

“Most of the decisions made involved him and he was the best person to answer.

“The public used his answers to issues as a source when allegations were made by the Pakatan Harapan and Perikatan Nasional,” Bastien said.

He added that the party’s youth wing should also lead the charge against the opposition.

“It’s not difficult. We just have to redouble our effort to make up for the loss of Najib’s voice,” he said, while pointing out that youth chief Asyraf Wajdi and information chief Shahril Hamdan had been fairly effective in countering the opposition.

Following BN’s defeat in the last general election and after a period of silence, Najib went on a social media offensive and led the charge against the PH government.

He rebranded under the Bossku moniker and his nationwide tours saw a steady increase of crowds at his gatherings and followers on his social media platforms.

As of Tuesday, he had 4.6 million Facebook followers, a further 4.1 million on Twitter and 979,000 on Instagram.

Sabak Bernam Umno division chief Abdul Rahman Bakri said now was the time to consolidate the party ahead of the next general election.

“We have to move and continue to provide good governance. We have to fight and protect our leaders from the slanders they face,” he said.

If anything, Abdul Rahman said Najib’s incarceration has only galvanised the party and reinforced its determination to form the next government on its own.

“We are not weak. We have to work harder. Najib’s jailing has only increased our resolve to succeed at the next general election,” he said.

Najib is currently facing 25 charges in relation to 1MDB: four for abuse of power under section 23 of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Act 2009 for offences allegedly committed between February 24, 2011, and December 19, 2014.

The remaining 21 are for money-laundering under section 4(1)(a) of the Anti-Money Laundering, Anti-Terrorism Financing and Proceeds of Unlawful Activities Act 2001.

The money-laundering charges involve nine counts of receiving RM2.08 billion, seven counts of transferring RM2.19 billion and five counts of using RM22.7 million.

This is the second case brought against Najib regarding the 1MDB fiasco, with the SRC International trial finishing earlier this week.

He faces the prospect of another four more cases in the pipeline. – August 26, 2022.