Umno’s actions post-GE15 signals ‘start of its demise’, says insider

 

Yesterday, Umno sacked its former youth chief Khairy Jamaluddin, former Selangor Umno chief Noh Omar and suspended several top leaders.

PETALING JAYA: Umno’s decision to sack and suspend a host of leaders is another indication that the party is headed in the wrong direction, says a party leader.

“The way we’ve carried ourselves after the general election (GE15) is wrong. There was no post-mortem, no remorse, no accountability, and there will be no contest for the top two posts in the party polls,” said the leader who declined to be named.”

Umno suffered its heaviest defeat in GE15, winning only 26 seats. It failed to win a single parliamentary seat in Selangor, Penang, Kedah, Melaka, Kelantan, Terengganu and Perlis.

“Now we’ve sacked and suspended a host of leaders, including those viewed as progressive like Khairy Jamaluddin and Shahril Hamdan. I fear this is the start of Umno’s demise,” said the source.

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Yesterday, Umno sacked former Rembau MP Khairy and former Selangor Umno chief Noh Omar for breaching party discipline during GE15.

It also suspended Sembrong MP Hishammuddin Hussein, former Umno information chief Shahril Hamdan, Maulizan Bujang and Salim Sharif for six years.

“People will question the sackings and suspensions, especially whether due process was followed,” the source told FMT.

“Where is the evidence of wrongdoing by the leaders? Were they given a chance to defend themselves? Where is the transparency?”

The source said questions would also be asked on “selective persecution”, as no action was taken against other Umno leaders who had been criticised as pro-Bersatu, including vice-presidents Ismail Sabri Yaakob and Mahdzir Khalid.

“Whatever it is, clearly Zahid is in full control, and Umno may be more united now by virtue of the purging of leaders, but it won’t mean it will become stronger.

“To win you need votes from the masses, just the support of Umno members isn’t enough.”

The source said if the Umno leadership believed it lost GE15 purely because of the actions of some leaders, then it is delusional.

Instead, the masses will see the purge of leaders as a desperate attempt by Zahid to hold on to power, he said. - FMT