Najib charts Umno’s Islamic direction

(Bernama) – Umno closed  it 2013 General Assembly yesterday in high spirit and with a  commitment  to formulate concrete strategies to implement affirmative action to achieve Malay and Bumiputera agenda, as well as to uphold Islam.

The assembly, which is the first after the 13th general election (GE13) and October party polls, also agreed for Umno to continue its political transformation agenda at all levels.

At the GE13, Umno managed to win 88 out of 133 parliamentary seats won by Barisan Nasional (BN), compared to only 79 in 2008, thanks to the support from the Malays and Bumiputeras, especially in rural areas.

Umno president Najib Tun Razak stressed that the causes of Islam would continue to be fought by the biggest Malay party, including through amendments of party’s constitution to recognise Islam as federal religion.

To define Islam, Umno will amend the Clause 3.3 of its constitution to recognise Islam as the federal religion, while Islam constitutes Ahli Sunnah Wal Jamaah, he said in his adjournment speech.

A total of 2,759 Umno delegates attending the assembly also heard Najib emphasise  the Bumiputera Empowerment Agenda, which he said would be made a national agenda and implemented by government-linked companies.

“For social justice, the positions of Malays and Bumiputera must be improved. This is our rights, but we are not sidelining the rights of others,” he said.

On Umno’s political transformation, Najib called on members to change their strategies for success based on the five transformation strategies for Umno to emerge as the party of hope and stay relevant.

On Thursday, Najib in his policy speech, said filling the transformation included efforts in strengthening the economy of the Malays and Bumiputera; upholding the syariah objectives; strengthening the party cadre; preparing the transformative machinery; and to draw up the Umno Key Performance Indicators or KPI.

Wanita Umno the ‘backbone’

During the five-day assembly, Wanita Umno was also declared as Umno’s ‘backbone’ based on its roles, hard work and contribution in ensuring success for the party, as well as the country’s development, all this years.

Established in 1949 as Kaum Ibu Umno before being renamed as Wanita Umno in 1971, the movement now has 1.3 million members from 191 divisions and 20,797 branches nationwide.

For the sake of the party’s survival. Umno is committed to implementing  the party cadreship development programme, involving aspects of creativity, personal skills and mastering the new media to face the challenges of the new political landscape.

This is to facilitate the delivery of party and government policies so that they could be accepted by the people in a responsive manner to resolve the grassroot’s problems.