Muhyiddin Says Umno Must Change Or Lose Power

(Bernama) — Umno vice-president Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin says Umno has reached the end of the road and must quickly institute change and renewal to restore its strength and influence.

He said the party only had four years to change before the people again passed judgment in the 13th general election and that in that most limited time frame all quarters must be committed to restoring the party's image while the members must be prepared to accept change.

"Some people say Umno has reached a crossroads (but) I say Umno has reached the end of the road. The final period is four years," he said in an interview with Bernama here.

Muhyiddin, who is International Trade and Industry Minister and a candidate for the post of Umno deputy president, said the task was not easy but the Umno leadership should be prepared to get on with it even if it had to face opposition from certain quarters.

"I would say that if you follow the time frame for reform, we have to start immediately after the (Umno) general assembly (from March 24 to 28). Let's say that in about nine months after that we have laid the foundation, all party leaders are brought together to be informed of the approach to be adopted by Datuk Seri Najib (Tun Razak) with assistance from me and colleagues.

"Schedules have to be put in place. First, it's back to political school, i.e. courses. All Umno leaders have to go back to school, understand Umno's basic struggle so that we are seen as having gone back to the roots. Let not there be negative values. This is not easy," he said.

He said one of the negative values which must be discarded by members was self-serving interests, so that the people's perception of members and the party could be rectified.

This could be effected by organising massive courses and training programmes for retraining at all levels of political education, he said.

"I find that in the last 10 to 20 years we have somewhat deviated (from the norm). Many people see us as being self-serving. In anything, Umno must come first. When there are contracts, Umno comes first. If there are projects, Umno comes first.

"Umno during the time of Datuk Onn Jaafar was unlike this. If there was anything, he would give it to the people first. As champions of the people, it is alright if we live a life of destitution but the people must live comfortably. Right now this does not happen. We serve ourselves first. The divisional leader must take care of the branch leader; he must take care of the members first when the members should be taking care of the Malays out there," he said.

Muhyiddin said he hoped that the reform to be instituted could be felt by the Malay community, especially in the third and fourth years, when Umno was ready to face the people in a general election.

He said Umno should also not merely be a party for its members but a party which served the Malays who were not its members as well as Malaysian society as a whole.

The old attitude of giving priority to members in the provision of certain aid, for example, must be rectified because besides the members, Malays who were not members of Umno as well as the non-Malays must be given assistance, he said.

Muhyiddin, who is the MP for Pagoh (Johor), said he was trying to bring reform to his parliamentary constituency by asking Umno members to resolve the problems of other communities as well and vice versa unlike up to now when the problems of Malays were resolved by Umno, those of the Chinese by MCA and those of the Indians by the MIC.

"I have turned things around. Imagine if Umno Youth were to carry out a gotong royong (self-help) activity in Chinese and Indian areas, or vice versa. What would be the people's perception? In the beginning, the people will say this is going overboard. But if we do it often, it will not be the case, or if we are seen to be helping not only our own groups but everyone.

"This is the work format we want to adopt because the people gauge us by what we do for them. This is the content of the reform and change. Four years are enough, but the people will judge us," he said.

Muhyiddin said Umno members had no option and had to be prepared to accept change for the survival of the party.

"There must be understanding between the leaders and members on our agenda and, in the process, there must be an explanation of the consequences if things are not done as they should be.

"The most perilous thing is for us to lose power. As such, we have to say that this is our option. For this option, you must be prepared to sacrifice, change the outmoded style to a new one," he said.

Muhyiddin said Umno could not afford to wait 10 more years to change because it would be too late by then.

"If we lose power, it will be difficult to regain it. So what is our option? Do you want to remain in power and change or do you want to lose power? There are no options. Umno and BN (Barisan Nasional) do not have many options," he said.

Muhyiddin said he hoped that Umno Youth and Puteri Umno would be able to play a vital role to drive the party to a more positive level, especially now that young people make up about 50 to 60 per cent of the electorate.

As such, it is important that both wings comprise leaders who were not only high-spirited but were experienced, rational, of calibre, wise to size up current and political situations, knew how to contribute to leadership, thoughtful of the spirit of cooperation and solidarity, and understood the people's needs, he said.

He said he felt that young leadership must be results-oriented, able to make a positive impact and raise the confidence of young people.

"I have mentioned before that in everything that we do, whether in Wanita Umno, Umno Youth or Puteri Umno, we must consider the political dividends, not political mileage but dividends.

"We may spend RM1, but the dividend must be RM10. We cannot be like before, enjoying ourselves and eventually hoping for people to support us. Now, we make an evaluation. What is the impact of what I do to us, to society?" he said.