UMNO Supreme Council member Mohd Puad Zarkashi has criticised a survey showing the grassroots members of the party demanding a change of leadership to revive the Malay party.

Puad said the survey by Ilham Centre was flawed but acknowledged that the party had lost the support of the Malays.

“Some analysts, including Ilham Centre, are very narrow in their focus. Their focal point is on Zahid to resign and for new leaders to step up,”  Puad said on Facebook today, referring to Umno president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi.

“But even Ilham Centre did not dare to say that all problems would be resolved if Zahid were to resign.

“Also, according to the think tank, Umno needs drastic changes but it doesn’t say what changes are needed,” said Puad this morning.

Yesterday Ilham Centre researcher Mujibu Abdul Muis said Umno was facing a leadership crisis and a loss of Malay support.

Speaking at a forum on the recent state elections this morning, Mujibu said said Umno had to adopt a strategic approach to stay relevant.

Mujibu said Umno’s victories in several state constituencies were not faciltated by its own supporters but Pakatan Harapan voters.

In the Kedah, Kelantan, and Terengganu elections, Mujibu said Perikatan Nasional had received more than 60% of Malay support.

Mujibu said Umno needed to introduce a leader with integrity and who could bring change.

He said Umno needed reform. 

Umno only managed to win 19 of the 108 seats it contested in six states in the August 12 polls. The party, which stood under the Barisan Nasional banner, won 14 seats in Negri Sembilan, two each in Selangor and Penang, and one in Kelantan.

Last week, Puad defended Zahid after Umno’s poor electoral performance, saying it was “better to identify what is wrong than who to blame”.

He said the resignation of the party president, such as that of Najib Razak following Barisan Nasional’s crushing defeat in the 2018 general election, would do nothing to resolve the party’s problems. – August 26, 2023.