UMNO is capable of rising back up and today needs to reorganise in order to continue the struggle of religion, race and nation, said Lahad Datu Divisional UMNO chief Sharif Musa Sharif Mabul.

He added that the positive side of the party’s cooperation with the unity government has not yet been felt but stability has been restored in the country.

“Today we are still standing, fighting with the permission of God in the name of UMMO. It may not be possible to imagine how we are able to rise up, and today UMNO in the unity government guarantees the (protection) of religion, of the Malays, of the country.

“I have not yet felt the blessing of UMNO’s devotion in the unity government because it has only been a short time. But rest assured, the history of our developed nation will serve as our teacher and reference (for the revival of UMNO),” he said in a statement to the party’s online organ UMNO Online.

His views are contrary to those of many other party leaders who are pressing either for leadership change or for the party to abandon its cooperation with the unity government where it has to work together with ‘eternal’ enemy the DAP.

Recent comments by former prime minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob suggest that the party has strayed from its original struggle to champion the interests of the Malays. That would include working with the DAP. 

“The real cause of rejection by Malay voters is that they see UMNO as having deviated from the idealism of its original struggle. Even worse, the UMNO leadership destroyed the Muafakat Nasional (charter) which was the hope of the Malays for the unification of the ummah (Muslim believers).

“It is worse when the party’s top leadership dragged UMNO to join DAP and even urged its machinery to work and vote for that party.

“As such, UMNO needs a drastic change in terms of approach, selling a narrative that can be accepted by the people and a change in leadership to remain relevant in the current country’s politics,” Ismail stated in an opinion piece published in Utusan Malaysia.  

However, the Lahad Datu UMNO head said some were lashing out in fear during the state polls but the poor results last week reminded the party of the turbulent storm that hit the UMNO ship since the GE14. 

UMNO lost the 2018 elections, which resulted in former premier Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad returning as prime minister (PM) and the removal of defeated former PM Datuk Seri Najib Razak as the UMNO leader. - Aug 20, 2023

https://focusmalaysia.my/umno-will-sail-again-and-needs-to-get-back-on-its-feet-says-divisional-chief-2/