Thursday, September 19, 2013

Umno chief disagrees with Mahathir's 'party dying' claim


VIDEO | 0:55 mins

Umno president Najib Abdul Razak disagrees with former prime minister and former Umno president Dr Mahathir Mohamad that the party is dying.

He bases his position on the fact that the party won 88 parliamentary seats during the recent 13th general election, compared with the 79 it won in 2008.

"We (Umno) have remained the bastion for BN," Najib said.
Najib said Umno will strive to improve further and strengthen the value system in Umno.

Umno, he said, will continue to fight for the interests of the party, reject money politics and advance the interest of the rakyat.

“These are all the values that all Umno members must portray to the people so they would have more confidence (in the party),” he said.

Najib reiterated that the party’s process of change had taken place, and will continue to take place when there is a party election.

However, the question, he admitted, is the degree of the change in the party.

“I expect in this party elections that there will be changes,” Najib reiterated further.

Mahathir had commented over the weekend that he sees the party as faltering and there is a need for the party to improve further and accept new and younger leaders.

“Umno is infected by old age and this would result in the party’s death. It is only with Umno renewing itself with new leaders that the party can continue on with the struggle which is entrusted to the party. Umno members need to be increased with the presence of the younger generation who are nationalistic,” Mahathir had said.

Mahathir had also said the Umno leadership at all levels especially at the central, the party’s supreme council members, should see a change with younger leaders.

‘Umno a dynamic party’

To questions whether he sees disadvantages in maintaining the present status quo on the positions in the party, Najib said he had continuously advocated continuity and change.

But he said the important thing is that there is stability and allow changes to take place.

“I think Umno has proven itself as a dynamic party cause change has taken place at different levels, even at the highest level, from time to time,” he said.

The Umno president also denied that he will have a team in this party elections slated at the end of this year, saying they are all his team.

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