THE departure of 17 Umno MPs since May 9 has forced the party’s millions of members to reflect on the former political force’s future in post-GE14 Malaysia.

There are two types of party members right now – those like Khairul Nizam Mohamad Rozi, who intends to stay put and who views party president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi stepping down as the first step to reviving Umno, and others like Akmal from Kuala Lumpur, who says he will simply stop being active in the party.

Khairul said he was disappointed in the defections as well as the lack of leadership in Umno but felt obligated to stay and rebuild the party which is going through its harshest test in its 71-year history.

The Jerai division Youth chief said he hoped to see Umno become a strong opposition party and not go begging to others for help, whether from PAS or Pakatan Harapan.

“We may have lost MPs but for ordinary kampung folk, Umno is still in their blood. Our members are not going away,” said the 40-year-old.

Umno yesterday lost six MPs who have turned independent. This leaves Umno with 37 seats in Parliament from the 54 it won in GE14. It also whittles down Barisan Nasional’s parliamentary seats to 40.

Another long-time party member, Badarudin Osman said he would not be leaving.

“Our MPs and division chiefs can leave. But I will remain. Umno is not the wrong platform. It is its leaders who are wrong,” said the party veteran of 30 years from Shah Alam, Selangor.

Zahid must go

Those who want to stay believe Umno will survive despite the bleeding, but stressed that the leadership must change, starting with the president.

The party has withstood past crises, such as the big split in 1990 when Gua Musang MP Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah left Umno and took half its leaders and members to form Semangat 46, and in 1998 when Anwar Ibrahim did the same, albeit on a smaller scale.

Senior Johor Umno leader Puad Zarkashi said he was confident Umno would ride out the latest trial.

He noted Bersatu was formed in 2016 by another batch of ex-Umno members led by ex-president, now Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad.

“Umno survived all these episodes because at the end of the day, we are a party with a lot of grassroots members. The leaders left but the members remained. Umno will rebuild itself with the grassroots,” said Puad, who used to head the Special Affairs Department (Jasa), which was the BN government’s propaganda arm.

But revival can only start when Zahid goes, said Khairul.

“Every member I meet tells me that Zahid has to step down for the good of the party.”

Badaruddin agreed, saying that Zahid had not been able to provide the vision and direction Umno needed.

“He was only elected because there really wasn’t anyone else for the job. But he’s proved that he doesn’t have any real strength.”

Pahang Umno leader Sharkar Shamsuddin said Zahid had to listen to the grassroots.

“We have to think of the party first. Every struggle requires sacrifice.” – December 15, 2018.