HISHAMMUDDIN: No point competing for posts if Umno is weak

NST Online

2008/04/21 Bernama

SINGAPORE, MON:

Umno members were today reminded not to forget the advise of past party leaders that “it is no use competing for party posts if the party is weak and held in low regard”. Umno Youth chief Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Tun Hussein said that was why his current agenda was to work hard with other party members to restore Umno after its dismal performance in the March 8 general election.

“Past Umno leaders like Datuk Onn Jaafar, Tunku Abdul Rahman Putra Alhaj, Tun Abdul Razak and Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad had repeatedly advised party members not to scramble for posts to the extent of damaging the party.

“Now, the current leaders including party president Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi and I too have been telling members not to focus too much on vying for posts to the detriment of the party,” he told reporters after opening a regional seminar on language here.

“But in their eagerness (for posts), people tend to forget such advice,” he added.

He said because of that too, he declined to respond to questions whether he would offer to contest a vice-president’s post in the party elections in December.
Hishamuddin recently announced that he would not seek re-election as Umno Youth chief, a post he has held for 10 years.

But, he said, he would not prevent any quarters to nominate him or other party leaders for the post.

He said what was important now was for party members to think of ways to restore Umno, and for the party to hear the members’ views and grouses and study its poor showing in the recent general election.

Nevertheless, he was confident that Umno could be restored because a challenging situation, crisis or test was not only faced by Umno as other component parties in the Barisan Nasional had gone through this before.

“I’m sure if all party members unite and listen to the voices of the people, Umno will be able to get out of this crisis and re-emerge as a stronger and more cohesive party,” he said.

Hishammuddin said while the top party leaders and himself had gone to the opposition-held states to listen to the party grassroot voices, Umno Youth was also looking ahead.

For example, he said, Johor Umno Youth yesterday held a meeting for some soul-searching and to look into the causes for Umno’s poor performance in the five states.

“The results of the recent general election has changed the country’s political landscape, but it is up to Umno members to paint a new picture and chart a new direction for the party,” he added.