JELEBU, Aug 19- Article 3 of the UMNO constitution must be respected in electing its leadership in October by putting the party’s struggles and objectives as priority, said UMNO Supreme Council member, Tan Sri Dr Rais Yatim.
The former Information, Communication and Culture Minister said this meant that UMNO must be recognised as a continuation for the religion, race and country but the mechanism must reflect Malay unity.
“Nevertheless, UMNO will have leaders but if we are divided in determining who will lead, the power of the Malays will dwindle and cease to exist due to political pressure.
“Party president Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak has advised us to be united. The Malays must hold on to this old tip like the pantun ‘Baju Melayu Berbutang Lima, Ada Juga Berbutang Suasa, Orang Melayu Jangan Lupa, Hilang Kuasa Hilang Semua’,” he said, adding that he would not be defending his post in the Supreme Council and as Jelebu UMNO Division Chief this time.
He was speaking to reporters when met at Pertang assemblyman Datuk Jalaludin Alias’ open house in Simpang Pertang, Jelebu, Saturday night.
Article 3 in the UMNO Constitution states the party’s responsibilities and objectives as a political party which upholds the Malays’ national ambition to defend religion, race and country.
Rais, who is Advisor To The Government On Social and Cultural Affairs, said the power was also seen by the others who were happy to see UMNO divided.
Therefore, he advised leaders not to be too excited or abrasive on their way to the top, as it could give the wrong image to the party.
“As a veteran, I hope the leadership will work to find a formula to unite the Malays in PAS and UMNO. This is the only formula and if we cannot do it I fear we won’t be in power for long,” he added.
In a related development, Khairy Jamaluddin Abu Bakar, Sunday announced that he will be defending the UMNO Youth chief post at the party’s polls in October.
The Member of Parliament for Rembau said he made the decision after deep thought and getting the blessings of grassroot supporters.
“I have given this much thought and following discussions with my friends at the grassroots levels and seeking the views of my UMNO Youth executive committee friends, and also at the state, division and branch levels, I am asking to be given one more term.
“There are many things I need to do which could not be done in just one term,” the Youth and Sports Minister said.
Khairy said this at a press conference at his Aidilfitri open house in Kampung Gadong, near Rembau, in Negeri Sembilan.
He said a survey by the Merdeka Centre after the 13th General Election (GE13) had shown the Barisan Nasional (BN) had gained 54 per cent support from Malay voters aged between 21 and 30.
“So, our focus now is to ensure this trend can be improved, not only among Malay voters from this age group ( 21 to 30 years) but also up to 40 years and include non-Malay voters, from the Chinese, Indian, Kadazan, Iban and other communities as well.
“This needs continuity, and I have put in place a plan since four years ago so that UMNO Youth and BN become more relevant to the younger generation and their tastes.
“With the approach and progammes we are taking, there is more openness in bringing a patriotic spirit in line with the wishes of our Prime Minister,” he said.
He said that after he was appointed as Youth and Sports Minister (after GE13), he felt that there was much more he needed to do and saw more clearly the challenges faced by the younger generation.
This gave him a better insight on the path the government should take in meeting their aspirations, he said.
The same applied to UMNO Youth, he said, noting that the wing “had to be up to speed” with the tastes of the younger generation if it wanted to remain strong in the 21st century.
-BERNAMA
