KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 31 — Ahead of the new year, Umno acting president Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan has urged for a “new normal” in the Malay nationalist party as he charts a fresh course after taking over from Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi.
The politician known as Tok Mat listed five commitments for Umno to fulfil, including reviewing the Malay agenda and temporarily abandoning its ambition to return to power as it seeks to regain voters’ trust.
“Umno must forget for now its desire to be back in power. Umno only has one choice, that is to regain the confidence of the Malays and become a medium for a movement of politics, charity and service for the Malays,” he said in the statement.
“We will not negotiate and map backroom deals to gain power using desperate means, or hijack the results of the 14th general elections by flooding or meddling in the government team,” he asserted.
The former Negri Sembilan mentri besar reiterated his call for Umno to play its role in a “Malay Renaissance” to ensure the community becomes more competent, competitive and focused on progress.
“[Umno will] fight for the Malays but not by sidelining other races in any way. It is time for Umno’s Malay agenda to be reviewed. It must be re-engineered and given a new paradigm,” he said.
“With the review of the Malay agenda, Umno will offer a new deal to the Malays and Malaysians.”
Besides promising that Umno will be a viable alternative to the government, Mohamad also vowed to combat money politics in the party and promised “ideas” as the political capital in Umno.
“Umno will become a ‘learning political party’ that will absorb intellectual excellence from all its supporters, whether party members or the public who are ready to contribute to the motherland,” he said.
The statement today is the clearest and most progressive direction yet for Umno since the fall of Barisan Nasional in the May 9 polls, and the ouster of scandal-plagued former president Datuk Seri Najib Razak.
Earlier this month, Zahid handed over presidential duties to Mohamad in an attempt to stem the outflow of Umno lawmakers and members from the party.
However, there have been rumours that Zahid’s so-called garden leave will be a permanent one, as his portrait has already been removed from the Umno supreme council meeting room and his office cleared, even as he still officially holds the post of party president.
