Don’t look for easy way back to power, says Umno No. 2

Chan Kok Leong Chan Kok Leong Updated 7 years ago · Published on 28 Sep 2018 10:35PM · 4 Comments

Umno deputy president Mohamad Hasan has told members that the party must not look for shortcuts back into power and focus on rebuilding the party instead. – The Malaysian Insight pic by Afif Abd Halim, September 28, 2018.

UMNO must set aside its desire to return to Putrajaya via shortcuts and back doors, warned Mohamad Hasan even as its party president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi admitted he was trying to get the party back into power before the next polls through an alliance with other parties.

The Umno deputy president said the party should focus on rebuilding and developing the right values if it wanted to capture the hearts and minds of the Malays.

“The party must work hard to convince Malays that it is a worthy movement in the next ten years,” said the Umno deputy president as he opened the general assembly of its Youth, Women and Puteri wings tonight.

He said that rebuilding Umno must be distinguished from winning power again. The party, he added, must go back to its roots and rediscover its ideology.

Umno deputy president Mohamad Hasan says members should no longer use racial rhetoric as Malaysia is a country for everyone. – The Malaysian Insight pic by Afif Abd Halim, September 28, 2018.

Hasan’s message is at odds with Zahid, who has been courting PAS and Pakatan Harapan leaders such as Anwar Ibrahim and Dr Mahathir Mohamad in a bid to form a unity government and gain entry back into Putrajaya.

The party must create a “New Malay Renaissance”, said the former Negri Sembilan menteri besar.

But he cautioned the party against using slogans such as “Hidup Melayu” or the tendency to be overly defensive.

“Arguments that all criticisms against the party is to reduce Malay political power is an old excuse that does not work anymore,” said Mohamad.

“And instead of just shouting ‘Hidup Melayu’, we must find new ways for Malays to progress in the 21st century. We must help Malays progress rather than just live,” he added.

Umno deputy president Mohamad Hasan and other Umno leaders arriving at PWTC tonight to officiate the party's annual general assembly for the Youth, Women and Puteri wings. – The Malaysian Insight pic by Afif Abd Halim, September 28, 2018.

He said the party was still relevant to Malays as Pakatan Harapan does not represent the majority of the Malay parties and its role was too small in the Malay political arena.

But he also asked the wing leaders to be leaders to all Malaysians.

“This is a country for everyone. It’s not a country for just one group or race,” said Mohamad. – September 28, 2018.

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Comments

  • Your new ideology must be to work with the non-Malays to develop Malaysia as originally intended by our British colonial rulers at Merdeka in 1957..

    Posted 7 years ago by MELVILLE JAYATHISSA · Reply

    • See what happened when Umno tried to practically do a 1-man show?..

      Posted 7 years ago by MELVILLE JAYATHISSA · Reply

    • Nonsense..

      Posted 7 years ago by Dr ShahAli Imram Ali · Reply

  • It looks like there is hope but people will remain skeptical when the other warlords are still around.

    Posted 7 years ago by Tanahair Ku · Reply