theSun | WEDNESDAY OCTOBER 14 2009 3

Umno Annual General Assembly 2009

Change or be changed, Muhyiddin tells Umno

by Husna Yusop
newsdesk@thesundaily.com
KUALA LUMPUR: Umno must
change to remain relevant. “If we are
not prepared to change, Umno will
be changed,” Deputy Prime Minister
Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin said.
The Umno deputy president said
the party views seriously the demand
for change because rejuvenation
process is the pivotal point for Umno
now in facing current and future
challenges.
“The major direction of the current
demand faced by all Umno members
is to prove that we are prepared to
make changes. And to ensure that
Umno would remain relevant.”
Opening the annual general as-
sembly of the three Umno wings
– Wanita, Youth and Puteri – at Putra
World Trade Centre here yesterday,
he said change and relevance is
interconnected.
“It would be meaningless if we
could only change but do not make
Umno relevant with the times. There-
fore, Umno needs to be relevant in
understanding the voice, language,
style and nuance of new politics.
“Umno needs to be relevant in
the open borderless world and in the
midst of information and knowledge
outflow. Umno needs to be relevant by
representing the voice of the Malays,
bumiputra and rakyat as a whole.”
Muhyiddin said Umno wants to
change, has started to change and
will continue to change for the better
as it is not a party which is static,
rigid and frozen while the world is
changing fast.
He described the country today
Umno president Datuk Seri Najib Abdul Razak briefs the delegates.
as going through a jaman edan or
zaman gila (crazy era) whereby
people were confronted with slander
and lies, resulting in confusion and
deception becoming a norm.
“This is the work of those who
caused damage in the name of
freedom, equality, fairness and
also religion. Their ends justify the
means, even though the country and
the nation were at stake.”
Muhyiddin said these people were
proud when they had some power;
they demonstrated in the streets,
went against the voice of democracy
and dissented the judiciary, the po-
lice and the Election Commission.
“They forgot God’s reminder not
to create disunity, not to spread lies,
not to insult fellow human beings.
They did not feel sinful talking about
fairness and Islam while at the same
time destroying their own Islamic
values.”
Muhyiddin said a strong party
which has done a lot of good deeds
could also collapse if it is not accepted
by the people but he believed Umno
and Barisan Nasional will revive and
repeat its glory.
“Umno is capable of going
through this challenge and fulfilling
new expectations. This is because
Umno is a pragmatic party which
is quick in reading the situation and
dare to make changes.”
He called on all Umno members
to close ranks and start with one
mind, feel with one heart, move on
one resolve and aim for one goal in
order to make changes and ensure
party continuity.
“We want no more of internal rifts,
no more of Team A and Team B, no
more of movements out to topple the
leaders, no more of threat culture and
no more of power grab to the extent of
the party becoming the victim.
“There must only be one platform,
one team, one Umno!” he said.
Muhyiddin said the 12th general
election was proof that the younger
generation has yet to fully grasp
Umno’s struggle and the party was
not seen as meeting its aspirations.
“Umno was seen as an exclusive
party, distanced from the masses.
Party works in terms of increasing
members and new voters are weak.
These are some of the challenges we
have yet to deal with,” he said.
To ensure Umno provides new
hopes, he called on the three wings to
set their key performance indicators
that is to increase members, register
new voters and create networks with
non-governmental organisations.
“I give you two years to achieve
the target. We are running out of
time. This move must start now,”
Muhyiddin said, adding that other
BN component parties must also be
prepared to initiate a more profound
transformation.

Najib wants Flashing the

BN parties to
start outreach
programmes
by Eva Yeong and Karen Arukesamy
newsdesk@thesundaily.com
PRIME MINISTER and Umno president
Datuk Seri Najib Abdul Razak urged all
Barisan Nasional component parties to
start outreach programmes and form
skuad sayang (care squads) to reach
out to the grassroots and bridge the gap
between them and the coalition.
Commending the Wanita Umno
wing for coming up with Projek Sayang
or Care Project initiative, he said: “This
concept will certainly help to show-
case a new image for Wanita Umno in
proceeding with its social and welfare
activities on the ground.”
Wanita Umno chief Datuk Seri Shahri-
zat Abdul Jalil said the project will see
the movement connecting more with
the grassroots in their activities, which
include visits to places of worship, hos-
pitals and community centres, instead of
organising “money-oriented events”.
“Don’t (always) put money and
social welfare work together. We can
always help, do charitable work without
involving money,” she said.
In her opening speech before
launching the project, Najib’s wife, Datin
Seri Rosmah Mansor, said through this
initiative Wanita Umno can better un-
derstand the feelings and problems of
the people besides identifying the true
issues that matter most to them.
“Malaysians are becoming more
mature and concerned about their
rights as citizens of the country. They
are becoming more bold, outspoken
and critical in claiming their rights.
“We should not focus only on a cer-
tain race or group in implementing the
Care Project but a collective effort must
be taken to reach out to the society as
a whole, without looking at race and
religion,” she said.
Amendments will have major impact: Najib
» From Front Page
Umno should undergo a process of
change and renewal, besides retain-
ing the traditions and noble values it
had upheld all along.
“Apart from that, Umno must
portray the image of a party which is
dynamic and progressive,” he said.
On the proposed Umno consti-
tutional amendments, Najib said
the measure had a major impact
because this was the first time in
the history of Umno that such radi-
cal constitutional amendments had
been proposed for adoption.
He said the amendments hitherto
were more procedural in nature but
this time around they were more
substantive because they touched
on the electoral process itself and
in terms of making entry into Umno
more open and inclusive.
“I feel it is difficult to change
human beings but what we can do
is to put in place a tighter and more
transparent system of elections,” he
said.
The proposed amendments are
expected to abolish the nomination
quota system for candidates vying
for top posts in the party and involve
the participation of more grassroots
members in the election process to,
among others, make the elections
more open and transparent as well
as stem money politics.
Najib said that if an individual
wanted to exploit the new system
by buying votes, the risk would
be too great because the number
of delegates involved would be
150,000.
“If the person were to try that,
he or she would surely be found
out and action can be taken against
whoever has abused their right in
our party,” he said.
It would be impossible to conceal
attempts to buy votes from 150,000
1Malaysia Intellectuals advised to
sign, Tan
Sri Mohd
come up with new thinking
DEPUTY Higher Education Minister Datuk
Isa Abdul
Samad
Saifuddin Abdullah called on intellectuals
in institutions of higher learning to conduct
(fourth
from left)
poses for a
research and come up with a more healthy
and refreshing new political thinking.
Saifuddin, who has written a book titled
photograph Politik Baru (New Politics), said they should
with some base their political research on racial diversity,
of the gender equality and participation by race.
delegates. “The time has come for members and lead-
Isa ers of political parties to set aside their conflict-
attracted ing political ideologies and listen to the views
a lot of of intellectuals to establish a better political
attention phenomenon for now and the future.”
yesterday
following
his huge ‘Amendment to constitution
victory in should spur attitude change’
the Bagan UMNO Youth chief Khairy Jamaluddin hopes
Pinang that the amendment to the party constitution,
by-election scheduled for tabling at the party’s extraor-
on Sunday. dinary general assembly tomorrow, will also
spur attitudinal change among members,
particularly Youth members.
“I regard the Umno Youth general as-
sembly and the general assembly as a trans-
formational assembly where we incorporate
delegates. Up to now, the fate of changes not only to provisions in the con-
the top leaders were determined stitution but also to our political compass,”
by 2,500 delegates only, “meaning, he told reporters after chairing the Umno
change the system and the system Youth executive council meeting yesterday.
will modify the behaviour of the – Bernama
members,” he said.
Najib said Umno’s disciplinary
committee and code of ethics
Delegates to debate
were still in place to check money Bagan Pinang victory
politics. THE Barisan Nasional’s by-election victory in
Asked whether there had been Bagan Pinang will be debated during a motion
objection from grassroots members of thanks for the presidential policy speech on
to the proposed minimum condi- the final day of the Umno general assembly
tions for an individual contesting top on Friday.
posts in the party, he said there had Umno deputy president Tan Sri Muhyiddin
been none so far but the final deci- Yassin said this was because the victory could
sion would be made at the special spur the party’s transformation process.
general assembly. “The change has begun and the Bagan
Asked whether his own position Pinang victory will be deliberated and factors
could be threatened by the proposed that led to our achievement will be studied,”
amendments, Najib said: “My fate is he told reporters after attending a briefing by
in the hands of Umno members and Umno constitutional amendment committee
the people. I leave it to the people chairman Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein
and Umno members to determine yesterday.
my fate.” – Bernama