UMNO secretary-general Annuar Musa today echoed veteran journalist A Kadir Jasin’s view that both Khairy Jamaluddin and Hishammuddin Hussein could be the answer to the party’s leadership conundrum. 

The Ketereh MP said the duo have the qualities to be future leaders but said building the party stronger should be their priority. 

“KJ and Hisham continue to play an active role in the party, Parliament. They still remain as important personalities within the party. 

“So, to certain extent, yes (on bringing Umno back to glory). I still believe Hisham and Khairy are the future leaders but what is important is for the party to be strong. If you have strong leadership but the party is very weak, so no point,” Annuar said at the Parliament lobby.

The prime minister’s media adviser, Kadir, said over the weekend in a blog post that he does not believe that Hishammuddin (Sembrong) was out to throw a spanner at Pakatan Harapan’s succession plan.

Kadir said speculations on Hishammuddin’s clandestine dealings with Dr Mahathir Mohamad probably had more to do with Umno’s current problems.

“I think people like Hishammuddin and Khairy are more important for the survival of Umno than to the Harapan succession plan. Left to the current leadership, Umno will be fighting an uphill battle to stay alive,” Kadir said.

Annuar said that besides changing leaders, Umno will have to reinvent itself to be a stronger party. Then, the party members would determine on who should be their leader. 

“As a team, we have to be strong, as a party we have to be strong, must be well organised, must have the right policy and we must keep reinventing ourselves.

“That is very important to Umno actually, not just change of guard but Umno must reinvent itself.

“We have to make the party strong, then the leaders will be determined by members of Umno.” – October 21, 2019.