Gua Musang MP Razaleigh Hamzah did not mince his words when he trained his guns on Umno, telling the party to “buck up” or lose out in the coming general election.

At a press conference in Penang yesterday, Razaleigh, affectionately known as Ku Li, said if Umno wants to stay in power, the party must start listening to Malaysians.

“I have been saying many times in my speeches that Umno has to buck up. They have to start looking into all those reform measures demanded by society,” said the former finance minister.

“(They would do it) if they are really listening to the people, especially the youths because they are going to be 60 percent of new voters in the next general election,” added the 77-year-old political veteran.

“I may not be there (at GE14) - but it’s not for me to say whether I am there or not - it is the country which is going to be around.”

He said this when asked to comment on DAP winning the Bukit Gelugor by-election, and the impact on the ruling BN coalition should the opposition was to retain the Teluk Intan parliamentary seat today.

In today’s polls, DAP’s Dyana Sofya Mohd Daud is facing Gerakan’s president Mah Siew Keong, a former deputy minister.

Ku Li said if Umno wanted to continue to remain in power, they have to listen to the grouses on the ground and take into consideration the views of the people.

He added that if Umno does not move with the times and respond to the demands of the younger generation, the party may face possible extinction.

“You lose out and you’ll not there after this. And I am not a man who can forecast whether they are going to be there or not, but if you don’t take drastic measures, you going to be left behind.

“You have another four years, and it is not very long,” he warned.

Deepak’s sweetheart deal

Meanwhile, on former Bank Rakyat chairperson Sabaruddin Chik’s allegation that politically-linked carpet businessman Deepak Jaikishan had obtained a sweetheart deal of a 10-year loan from the bank, Ku Li said he did not know much about the matter.

It is alleged that Deepak ( right ), reportedly a close friend of Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak and his wife Rosmah Mansor, managed to obtain an interest-free loan of RM32 million for 10 years from the bank.

“Bank Rakyat is not under the Banking Act, and it is not under the purview or control of Bank Negara but under the cooperatives,” said the former finance minister.

“However, it is ‘not on’ to provide such deals. Under what government policy are they extending this very good facility? Based on a request made by a customer?” he asked.

“Is it under bumiputera policy? He (Deepak) is not a bumiputera. So under what policy is he being given an interest-free loan?”