KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 30 — PPBM is in power now but may not stay that way if it does not embrace new blood, Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad said during his party’s annual assembly today.

He reminded the party of Umno’s fall in the 14th general after over six decades in power and urged division leaders not to sabotage the rise of new talents or the entry of promising recruits.

"If we do not allow new people to come in, then we will be division chiefs with no members. When that happens, it will wreck our party, and he or she won't be the division chief anymore because there is no more party,” he was quoted as saying by the Malaysiakini news portal.

"Look at Umno — what happened to them could happen to us.”

Umno division leaders are commonly accused of blocking the rise of promising talents in an attempt to protect their own positions.

Today was the final day of the second PPBM annual assembly.