Selangor poll’s result a final warning on Umno’s political survival, says Tengku Zafrul

KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 14 — The outcome of the Selangor state election was the final warning for Umno to accept the fact that the party is losing the support of Malay voters, Datuk Seri Tengku Zafrul Tengku Abdul Aziz said today.

The Umno Supreme Council member said the success of the alliance between Pakatan Harapan (PH) and Barisan Nasional (BN) forming the Selangor government should not hide the fact of BN’s dismal performance.

“Out of the 12 seats contested by BN, it won only two, including one which was originally a DAP seat. Apart from the unique case of Sungai Air Tawar that better reflects the candidate’s prowess, the Selangor state election showed that the more Malay voters in an area, the harder it is for Umno to win.

“If this is not the final warning for the question of the party’s survival, I don’t know what other warning needs to be given before we realise that we have been rejected,” he wrote in a Facebook post.

He also pointed out that many Umno members had expressed their disappointment and sadness after Umno was rejected despite serving in the state for the past 15 years.

In today’s political scenario, Tengku Zafrul said that a party’s success or failure is determined by its strategy, skills and appeal.

The international trade and investment minister also reminded Umno to not turn radical because it was established to unite the Malays.

“The direction and ideology of Selangor Umno need to be clear and accepted by the grassroots members, not only seen as wanting to chase the reins of power, but at the same time unable to give confidence to the members below and also the people,” he said.

“On this basis, I hope that the party leadership will rise up and correct the situation of the party that does not only focus on pursuing short-term power, but shows a serious effort to regain the trust of the people and also the grassroots of the party.

“This is important for the future and survival of the party, especially in Selangor,” he added.

Tengku Zafrul also said that Selangor Umno needs to re-identify the segment they want to approach, in prioritising its struggle.

“Everyone in Umno, including me, needs to reflect and rebuild the strength of the party so that we can stand strong again without depending on any party,” he added.

The PH-BN alliance was denied two-thirds majority in Selangor after winning just 34 seats out of 56 in Selangor, losing 15 to PN.