KUALA LUMPUR: Umno will be doomed if its present leadership fails to align the party with the aspirations of majority of the Malays, Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah said.

In an interview with FMT, the Umno adviser said the party must recognise the need for change by allowing new and young leaders to helm the top leadership of the party.

"If the leadership of Umno today does not bend with the wind, meaning does not go according to the wishes of the majority of the Malays, then Umno is dead.

"But if the Umno leadership recognises the fact that time has come for a change, and that they ought to make sacrifices, give way to the young, guide them and let them take over, then here's a good future for Umno," he was quoted in the interview published today.

Tengku Razaleigh said this when he was asked if Umno could make a comeback and return to being the anchor party in the government representing the Malay community.

He also insisted that senior leaders should "take a back seat" and give way to the younger generation when he was asked if the present Umno president Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi should be replaced by his deputy Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan.

"The last 30 to 40 years…we have not groomed young people. We should have groomed young people to take over as soon as we got tired.

"I wouldn't be where I was or where I am if not for the old who paved the way for people, young people like me. I came in at the age of 24, 25." he said.

Dissatisfaction with inability of Umno to remain true to its principles and original struggles, said Tengku Razaleigh, has enabled Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia and Pas to obtain signficant support from Malay voters.

"Malay voters are getting very despondent with the ability of our leaders to maintain a straight and proper path in their struggle, so they drifted away" he said.

"Umno has a good future if Umno now says: 'Look, all of you Malays, we are here to look after the Malays. All of you come back and join Umno.' Let us relook at Umno and see what they want for the future," he added.

https://www.nst.com.my/news/politics/2024/05/1055901/umno-dead-if-party-does-not-bend-wind-says-tengku-razaleigh