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Emulate Umno, work all year round, deputy minister tells BN allies

Barisan Nasional (BN) component parties must work all year round, and not when the general election is near, so that the party can remain relevant.

Umno supreme council member Tajuddin Abdul Rahman said they should emulate Umno's methodology which saw its candidates winning many seats in the 13th general election (GE13).

"GE13 is proof of Umno's success. BN would have recorded a bigger win if the other component parties had done the same but they lost.

"They should learn a lesson from what happened and not repeat it in the 14th general election (GE14). This way, we can win two-thirds majority.

"We have programmes such as Wanita Umno's Skuad Sayang, the recruitment of new members and sporting events.

"Component parties should hold such programmes more frequently. They can also check the electoral roll to ascertain the validity of registered voters and identify members and voters who support the party," he told Bernama and Umno Online today.

Tajuddin, who is also Deputy Agriculture and Agro-Based Industries Minister, said to keep BN relevant, component parties must go back to basics and identify the problems of the voters.

"I have received reports of component party leaders who went missing after winning seats. Some only cater to voters of a certain race and ignore the others. This will render BN irrelevant and the voters will go elsewhere.

"BN component parties must show that they are still relevant because what they do will be felt by BN."

He advised young leaders of BN component parties not to be angry when reprimanded by top Umno leaders and those who have vast experience in politics.

"Component party leaders who cannot accept criticisms can become a disease within BN. As a result, they refuse to fight and remain in the same standard," he added.

In GE13, BN won 133 of the 222 parliamentary seats contested. The remaining seats went to Pakatan Rakyat.

Of the 133 BN seats, Umno had the highest number with 88 seats, followed by MCA (seven), MIC (four), Gerakan (one), PBB (14), SUPP (one), SPDP (four), PRS (six), Upko (three), PBS (four), PBRS (one). LDP and PPP did not win any seat.

- Bernama

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