Umno must not lose sight of survival in Malay-Muslim unity, says Perak delegate

 Iqbal Jamaluddin says voters must support Umno on its own merits, not simply because they are dissatisfied with Pakatan Harapan.

Perak Umno Youth delegate Iqbal Jamaluddin said the party must avoid becoming stronger only in certain states, such as Johor, Negeri Sembilan and Melaka.

KUALA LUMPUR:

An Umno Youth delegate says the party must safeguard its political interests in any Malay-Muslim political cooperation.

Perak Umno Youth delegate Iqbal Jamaluddin said he supported Malay-Muslim unity, but stressed that any political cooperation must take Umno’s interests into account.

“Yes, we need to come together in the interest of Malay-Muslim unity. But at the same time, we must not lose sight of Umno’s survival,” he said at the party’s annual general assembly here.

Iqbal said Umno must avoid becoming a party that was strong only in certain states, such as Johor, Negeri Sembilan and Melaka.

He also questioned whether Umno’s recent gains among younger voters reflected genuine support for the party or were driven by dissatisfaction with Pakatan Harapan.

“Is it because they genuinely want to vote for Umno? Or are they voting for Umno because they do not like PH?” he said.

He said Umno must work towards ensuring that voters choose the party and Barisan Nasional on their own merits at the 16th general election.

“By GE16, people should vote for BN because they support Umno and BN, not because they dislike PH,” he said.

Iqbal said Umno must also offer a forward-looking agenda addressing the “everyday concerns” of voters, rather than focusing solely on its traditional emphasis on Islam and Malay interests.

Apart from the cost of living and job opportunities, he said, the party should discuss topics such as technology and artificial intelligence. - FMT