Little confidence in Zahid’s bid to resurrect Selangor Umno through Putrajaya’s appointments
Former party men say Umno cannot make a comeback, whether in urban or rural areas.
(MalaysiaNow) – Selangor Umno’s move to vacate the posts of village chiefs and decline a role in town and city councils in the state has been seen as an admission of the reality facing the party since its recent electoral defeats – that it no longer holds sway in either rural or urban areas.
The party’s state chapter recently said that it would vacate 75 village head positions under the Village Community Management Council (MPKK), aiming to instead fill the posts under the Madani Village Community (KDM) to be created in each village.
MPKK, which is under the jurisdiction of the state government, was rebranded from the Village Development and Security Committee (JKKK) in 2018, during the time of the first Pakatan Harapan (PH) administration under Dr Mahathir Mohamad.
Meanwhile, KDM will come under the rural and regional development ministry helmed by Umno president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi.
Isham Jalil, among the Umno leaders given the boot after the party embraced PH two years ago, reminded it of its waning influence in rural areas.
“Umno under Zahid is losing influence everywhere, not only in urban areas but now in the rural areas, too, which used to be its stronghold,” the former Umno Supreme Council member told MalaysiaNow.
He acknowledged that there were those “who still like Umno”.
“But they don’t like Zahid and his minions.”
