Riding on the euphoria over their badly needed victory in Bagan Pinang, Umno delegates have enthusiastically embraced the call by their boss Najib Razak in the just concluded annual general meeting to bring renewal and reform to their 60-year-old political party.

While die-hard supporters of the Pakatan Rakyat coalition will look at this latest move by Najib as just another spin, I am more circumspective.

I have to grudgingly grant this to the prime minister: he has got guts and vision. For him to make such a call, he has to break out of the cocoon of denial that has plagued so many other component parties of the Barisan Nasional. He realises the weaknesses of Umno, and the party image of being self-serving, arrogant, and out of touch with the people.

He has done where MCA, MIC and Gerakan have failed...