Umno less arrogant under Najib, says party veteran

Veteran Umno leader Abdullah Ahmad said that Umno, under Najib Abdul Razak's stewardship, is now less arrogant, making the ruling party more electable to the Malays’ electorate, whom he described as the main battleground for the upcoming general election.

Abdullah (left in photo), a former MP for Kok Lanas and former editor-in-chief of New Straits Times, told a forum in Kuala Lumpur this morning that Malay voters, who generally prefer stability and continuity, revolted against Umno in the 2008 general election because they were deeply disappointed with Abdullah Ahmad Badawi's inept leadership.

However, Najib has been doing a decent job since he took over from Abdullah in 2009, said Abdullah, and Umno is likely to reclaim the Malay heartland in the next general polls.

“Najib's leadership shows no sign of coming to an end, and Umno shows no sign of diminishing. 

“Najib is not going to be the last Umno prime minister,” he stressed.

In contrast, Abdullah pointed out that the political prospect of opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim would be dim, if Pakatan Rakyat fails to capture Putrajaya in the next general election.

“If Anwar loses, he would be 70 in the 14th general election. I don't think he would live his political career beyond that.”

Abdullah was a close associate of former premier Dr Mahathir Mohamad, and is currently leading a think tank called the Institute of Political and Economic Analysis (IKAPE).

He was one of the many speakers invited to speak at the 15th Malaysia Strategic Outlook Conference today, organised by think tank Asian Strategy and Leadership Institute (Asli).

[More to follow]