KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 10 – The UMNO General Assembly 2015 should be an avenue for delegates to renew their commitment to the dominant Malay party’s struggles and ensure its relevance on the political stage. Local political analyst, Associate Prof Mohd Izani Mohd Zain from Universiti Putra Malaysia’s Human Ecology Faculty said members’ undivided support and loyalty to their president were what the party needed to remain strong.
He said it was expected of the 5,738 delegates at the Umno general assembly to consolidate and pledge allegiance to their leader as had been the tradition. Umno, he said, is capable of overcoming its challenges if members give their undivided support and carry out their respective function and role in the party.
“Grassroot support is very crucial for the sustainability of the party. Allegiance to the leader is very important but the current scenario dictates that every political party cannot escape from leadership confidence crises. Party leaders and their countries have been tested for their credibility and in the context of Umno, party president Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak is not exempted,” he said.
Whatever it is, He said Umno being the backbone of the government must take proactive action to resolve the issues. In 2003, Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi who was then Umno deputy president said party members must heed the advice of Datuk Seri Dr Mahathir Mohamad (now Tun) about being loyal to the top leadership to preserve unity and strength in Umno and the country.
Dr Mahathir was at the time Umno president and prime minister. Meanwhile, Pahang UiTM Administrative Science and Policy Studies Faculty lecturer Che Hamdan Che Mohd Razali views Umno as a truly organised party that decides and carry out every action collectively.
“So it is important for delegates to remain loyal to the president as he had been elected by the grassroots. Umno has vast experience in internal and external crisis management. For me, if the leaders at every level play their respective role, the party would be able to handle any crisis,” he said.
Meanwhile, Pahang Pemuda Umno chief Mohd Shahar Abdullah said the party’s slogan, ‘Bersatu, Bersetia, Berkhidmat’ must be appreciated by all party members to ensure Umno continues to remain intact and united. He said the slogan had succeeded in bringing Umno out of numerous trials and quagmires.
“Let’s try to comprehend the three aspects of the slogan, which are, ‘unity’, ‘loyalty’ and ‘service’. It means we need to unite to ensure that Umno remains strong. We need to be loyal to ensure Umno achieves its objectives and we must serve to ensure that Umno excels in the eyes of the people,” he added.
