Umno should not air its dirty laundry in public but emulate Pakatan Rakyat in dealing with its problems behind closed doors, said Umno vice-president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi.

Ahmad Zahid Umno VP Ahmad Zahid ( right ) was delivering a keynote address a the officiation of the Titiwangsa Umno Annual General Meeting today, and urged the members to close ranks ahead of snap polls.

“Islam allows for differences of opinion; we can quarrel all we want but use the available channels. Work together until we win, and then you can fight,” he said.

Ahmad Zahid, who is Bagan Datoh Umno chief, said that PAS members also quarrelled, but “inside their mosquito net” while “DAP also fights but in their bedrooms; PKR members also quarrel but in their house”.

The race to lobby for positions had left many unhappy, and has had an adverse effect on the party’s reputation, he said, adding that it has to stop.

“Let’s work as a team to win back Titiwangsa,” said Ahmad Zahid to roughly 150 delegates.

He said after a conducting a strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats (Swot) analysis on the party, the results showed that Umno needed to reevaluate itself through self-criticism and reflecting on its mistakes.

Plural society

"Accept that we live in plural society and at the same time Umno is here to uphold the rights of the Malay community and others as well," he said.

NONE The current political landscape requires members to rectify weaknesses and quit internal politicking for gains, advised Ahmad Zahid.

He also called on to delegates to embrace social media tools like Twitter and Facebook , and target the opposition.

Ahmad Zahid also took a swipe at PAS, whose candidate Dr Lo'lo' Mohd Ghazali ( left ) won the Titiwangsa parliamentary seat in the 2008 general election.

"PAS are like those who sell medicine on the streets, they give people false hope. We have pharmacy endorsed medication but we don't market it as well as they do," he said.