Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak said adherence to organisational discipline is among the factors that could decide victory for Umno and BN.

Najib, who is also Umno president, said despite having many members, Umno. as the main Malay party. stood to lose if its members did not have this.

He said, through a strong organisational discipline, Umno with a membership in excess of three million. was capable of going to war in an orderly manner under a strong leadership what with its inherent strength.

Using the Badar and Uhud wars as examples, he said the triumph and defeat of Muslims in the two wars must be used as lessons by party supporters that organisational discipline covering instructions, obeying instructions and implementing instructions must be complied with, obeyed and implemented, to ensure success in every battle.

"To ensure victory, firstly there must be organisational discipline. For example, if we want to go to war, our army must be structured under a chain of command which is strong and disciplined.

"Having organisational discipline will make us very strong because we already have the numbers. But we must embroider it with the strength of organisational discipline. This is the important matter that I want to stress," he said on what needed to be done by Umno members to ensure victory in the coming general election.

The Badar War was the first encountered by Muslims in Madinah, where the strength of faith and belief in god, had brought a major victory and the spread of Islam to Mecca.

During the Uhud War, a small Muslim army almost overcame a much larger army of 3,000 until undisciplined Muslim soldiers entrusted to man Uhud Hill, deserted their post to grab loot left by the escaping enemy.

Finding the strategic Uhud Hill unmanned, the enemies returned and overran it, and were able to strike back decisively at the Muslim soldiers from their rear.

Talking to B ernama and Utusan Malaysia , in an exclusive interview at his office at Parliament building, in conjunction with the 63rd Umno gathering from Nov 28 to Dec 1 at the Putra World Trade Centre, here, Najib said accepting the decision of the party including on matters of selecting general election candidates was also covered under organisational discipline.

He said other than the history of the Badar and Uhud wars, Umno members were also urged to use the bitter losses of the party in several series of by-elections in previously winnable places as a lesson, and reminded about the effects and consequences of going against party discipline.

Najib said since heading Umno in April 2009, he had made many changes including in aspects of disciplining members which prompted delegates to pledge not to go against the leadership during the party general assembly last year.

"They had made a pledge and given their word. In fact, Dr Mahathir Mohamad (ex-prime minister) had helped by meeting them, (they) have raised their hands and made a sworn pledge and undertaking, and had also pledged in the general assembly.

"I can go no further, I have done what I could do, so it is up to the members. If they don't go against the oath..I don't know, I leave it to them, it is between them and God," he said.

Self discipline more meaningful

Asked if the setting up of the disciplinary committee would be able to help in overcoming indiscipline such as sabotaging BN candidates, the Umno president said the self-discipline of every member was more meaningful and important to the party compared to disciplining them.

Taking the Automatic Enforcement System implemented in several places as an example, Najib said the matter was actually unnecessary if drivers were disciplined but it had to be done to educate society to be more disciplined on the road.

"So, we are disciplined, we can save our lives. This means if we have self-discipline our party will surely succeed. This is what we should give priority to because it is meaningless if we win seats but fail to form the government," he said.

He said announcing general election candidates earlier was among the choices which could be taken to avoid acts of sabotage. But until today no decision had been made on it.

"There is no guarantee there will be no sabotage if we announce early. But if we announce too late it is difficult to amend the situation. So, I feel, it cannot be too early or too late. We will find a time which we maybe feel is suitable," he added.

- Bernama