AUGUST 27 — The mood during the recently concluded Umno General Assembly (PAU) was upbeat. Clearly, the members of Malaysia’s grand old party are now more confident in the party’s direction following the recent success in Nenggiri, Kelantan
As a member of the Supreme Council, the significant rise of the delegates’ spirit was palpable. The extensive media coverage for PAU 2024 also reflects the continued relevance of Umno’s influence in the national political landscape.
I strongly feel that Umno has successfully found its political rhythm as one of the key parties in the Unity Government. With 26 Members of Parliament, Umno has successfully contributed to greater political stability and stronger governance in Malaysia’s public sector.
All of this was achieved without compromising Umno’s core struggles. In fact, Umno managed to advance the Bumiputera agenda across all levels within the Unity Government. As a Cabinet Minister, I can attest that Umno has, indeed, been given ample opportunities in the Madani Government to champion Malay and Bumiputera issues in the context of our multiracial society and the nation’s economic direction.
Although it is still too early to conclude that Umno has fully regained the confidence of Malay voters, there have been encouraging signs of voter acceptance, especially among young and new voters, as seen in the Nenggiri by-election.
Indeed, a relevant Umno is one that is agile enough to keep abreast of current times and political climate. In my view, there are five key highlights from the 2024 PAU discussions that the Umno leadership, myself included, should embrace to improve the party’s standing among voters.
Firstly, Umno must remain a moderate and inclusive Malay political party within the context of a multi-racial and multi-religious polity.
Looking at Umno’s history as a “big tent” party that encompasses various segments of the Malay community since 1946, there have always been attempts to pull Umno to the left or right through race-based politics. Interestingly, every time Umno moves back to middle-ground politics, the party’s electoral performance has historically improved. Therefore, to ensure the party’s continued relevance, Umno must re-embrace its principles as a moderate and inclusive Malay party, without abandoning its struggle to advocate for the nation’s diverse society.
Umno certainly needs Malay voters. However, this quest must be appropriately tempered to prevent the party from being entrapped in extreme racial politics. It is not only because the spectrum of voters in Malaysia is diverse, but even Malay voters themselves are not monolithic. In short, Umno must reinvent itself to be the primary choice for voters who prioritise rational and moderate politics.
Secondly, the Umno Central leadership needs to formulate a robust strategy to ensure a clear and accurate segmentation of voters, taking into account the unique sentiments of each state. We can no longer apply a one-size-fits-all approach for each constituency.
Most importantly, we must also acknowledge that the days of a single, dominant party are long gone. This means Umno needs to appeal to a coalition of voters across different age groups, backgrounds, and ethnicities to remain relevant. Consequently, we must transform our thinking and efforts for Umno to become more competitive not only in Malay-majority constituencies but also in mixed, urban seats.
On whether Umno should operate independently or in a coalition of partners as per the Unity Government for the next General Election, the sooner this decision is made, the better. This will not only send a clear message to voters, but also enable members to strengthen their preparations to enhance Umno’s chances of victory. In his keynote address, the Right Honorable Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, President of Umno, has also outlined how Umno will navigate this issue in the lead up to the 16th General Election.
Thirdly, Umno’s service-oriented politics needs to be expanded, organised more systematically, and monitored transparently.
Some have argued that Umno’s standing as a social ‘institution’ serving the local community is no longer reaping sufficient political dividends. I, on the other hand, believe that this remains one of Umno’s key strengths and differentiating factors, provided it is executed in a more systematic manner.
At the division level, we should combine the use of big data with tracking and ‘accountability’ mechanisms to ensure programmes are impactful, meets the needs and preferences of the community, and achieve widespread voter outreach.
Umno programmes must consider the impact or outcomes, not just output, such as the number of events held. Voter engagement mustbe aligned with current demands and involve a diverse populace, not merely Umno members and supporters.
While converting fence-sitters is important, we must also maintain white voters’ confidence in Umno. This paradigm shift is necessary to avoid repeating past mistakes and to attract votes.
Fourthly, Umno needs to nurture future leaders with true potential and calibre.
During the recent PAU, I was impressed by the quality of ideas and delivery by many of the spokespersons for Umno’s various wings. They not only embodied the spirit of Umno’s struggle, but also presented fresh and diverse perspectives. The issues raised were highly relevant — from work-life balance for working mothers, and cost of living to the challenges of digitization in the workplace. Their constructive feedback to the leadership was coupled with suggestions for improvement. This is precisely what Umno needs — a constructive, not destructive approach. I was deeply moved by their fiery passion for Umno, particularly in current times when the image of this oldest Malay party is far from its best, and when Umno is no longer the most dominant party.
The quality of Umno’s young talent today imbues me with confidence of Umno’s bright future. They are not only highly educated and successful in their respective professions, but also more resilient despite the bitter experience in the 15th General Election. I can sense their determination to restore Umno’s glory. This spirit needs to be nurtured to win over new voters, especially those aged 18-25.
Last but not least, Umno must fully leverage on social media and the proliferation of technology, particularly via its extensive machinery, and members.
In supporting the party’s communications outreach, each member should primarily use social media platforms to build narratives and reshape perceptions of the party. Content must be fresh, informative and entertaining, as well as disseminated systematically to all layers of society, while conquering the algorithms of each platform to ensure the party’s narrative reaches our target audience efficiently.
19. Many more valuable ideas were shared with me throughout the divisional meetings and during the PAU season. I have already implemented some of them, and will share the results in future writings.
Many young members of Umno envision this grand old party of ours to once again be successful. However, good intentions must be coupled with effective implementation to ensure that they serve the best interests of both the rakyat and the party.
I am confident that if the majority of Umno members could implement these five suggestions, Umno could rise again and continue to advocate for the interests of Islam, the Malays, and Malaysia. Hopefully, this revival will be reflected in the Mahkota by-election, insya-Allah.
• Datuk Seri Tengku Zafrul Abdul Aziz is Umno Supreme Council member.
** This is the personal opinion of the writer or publication and does not necessarily represent the views of Malay Mail.
