KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 10- Umno Supreme Council member Datuk Seri Mohamed Nazri Abdul Aziz said that popularity in the party would not guarantee victory of a candidate in an election.
The important thing, he said, was for a leader to work and be popular among the people who voted for them in the last general election.
He said there were Umno Supreme Council members who were popular in the party, but lost in the last general election.
“What is important now is not for us to fight for posts in Umno., but to work hard for the people at the grassroots.
“For the Umno members, to work in areas that we won, serve the voters, that is more important,” he told reporters after the pre-launch of Malaysia Tourism Hunt 2013 here Monday.
He said this in response to a statement by Pulai Member of Parliament, Datuk Nur Jazlan Mohamed, who said that he was fed up with what was happening in Umno as there had been no change, despite promises to make changes by the leaders before the general election.
Mohamed Nazri said he agreed with Nur Jazlan for new faces to contest for posts in the Umno election, scheduled in October.
“We always want to ensure the process of regeneration be carried out because the party needs continuity in terms of leadership. Hence, it is crucial to have young people,” he added.
However, he said the presence of old faces was also necessary to give balance and continuity in Umno leadership.
Mohamed Nazri, who is Tourism and Culture Minister, said his main agenda now was to ensure the Padang Rengas parliamentary seat, which he won in the last general election, and the state seats of Lubuk Merbau and Chenderoh, continued to be under Barisan Nasional in the 14th general election.
– BERNAMA
