KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 11 — Umno president Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi today called for the 16th General Election (GE16) to be held as soon as possible, saying the time had come for Barisan Nasional (BN) to seek a fresh mandate to lead the country.

Zahid said GE16 would be a defining moment for Umno and BN to regain the mandate to lead, as he outlined the coalition’s “gelombang biru” (blue wave) strategy ahead of the next general election.

“Therefore, the time has come for GE16 to be held immediately. Do you agree?” he said in his fiery policy speech at Umno’s general assembly here, to which delegates in the Dewan Merdeka hall replied with a loud “Yes!”.

He then told delegates that since the party had already been fighting for its political position, it should see the battle through to the end.

“Since we have started, we might as well see it through to the end. Since we are already fighting, let us fight all the way,” he said.

Zahid said the political landscape had become more complex, with Malay politics no longer centred on a single political vehicle and voter loyalties no longer being inherited.

He said the younger generation was also less bound by nostalgia for the old political landscape, meaning Umno could no longer rely on a single formula in every electoral battleground.

“Demographics differ. Issues differ. Candidates differ. Sentiments also differ. That is the reality today,” he said.

Zahid said the results in Sabah, Johor and Negeri Sembilan had each offered different lessons for the party.

He said Sabah had provided a lesson, Johor had raised confidence, while Negri Sembilan showed that political understanding could be a strength.

“Melaka, God willing, will be the next battleground to test how far the ‘blue wave’ can truly be translated into action,” he said.

Zahid said the blue wave was not merely intended to make Umno a supporting component of the government.

“GE16 is the defining moment for us to regain the mandate to lead the country,” he said.

GE16 must be held by 2028 at the latest, unless Parliament is dissolved earlier.