KUALA LUMPUR: The “traitors” among the United Malays National Organisation (UMNO) who have become enemies from within the party should be booted, its youth chief Asyraf Wajdi Dusuki said on Thursday (Jan 12).
In his policy speech on the second day of UMNO’s 2022 general assembly, Dr Asyraf said that these detractors would end up destroying the party as they only prioritise on their individual needs.
“UMNO Youth demands that the remaining party traitors who have been enemies from within to be removed immediately before they become cancers that damage the party,” he said.
At a special briefing before the start of the general assembly on Wednesday night, UMNO president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi identified 10 Barisan Nasional (BN) Members of Parliament who had signed statutory declarations in support of Perikatan Nasional (PN) chairman Muhyiddin Yassin.
Free Malaysia Today reported that among them were former senior minister Hishammuddin Hussein as well as Malaysian Chinese Association (MCA) president Wee Ka Siong. MCA is a component party of BN.
Dr Asyraf said that BN’s loss in the 15th General Election (GE15) last year was due to the disunity within the coalition.
“The reality is that in 2018, we lost due to false accusations (against the party’s leaders). In 2022, we lost because we were divided,” he said, adding that “a house divided against itself cannot stand”.
TOP 2 POSTS SHOULD NOT BE CONTESTED
Amid calls from certain quarters who want to see the top two positions – party president and deputy president – opened for contest at the upcoming party polls, UMNO women’s wing chief Noraini Ahmad has called for the posts to remain uncontested.
This, she said, will give the party leaders “space and support to strengthen the party for the sake of UMNO’s survival and for the country.”
In her policy speech, Dr Noraini said that UMNO members must support the existing leadership to strengthen the party and regain the confidence of voters following its dismal GE15 performance.
“Externally, we lost due to the perceptions played up … internally, we lost because some of us would not stop shooting ourselves in the foot.”
Source: CNA
