Updated version Umno Youth deputy chief Abdul Aziz Sheikh Fadzir has withdrawn his resignation letter which was sent to Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad last Friday.

Umno Youth chief Hishammuddin Hussein told journalists today after a five-hour meeting of the movement's executive committee that he had persuaded Aziz not to quit.

Aziz, and his boss, faced intense criticisms for failing to secure a victory in the recent Lunas by-election.

Apparently, the failure has been linked to a rowdy Umno Youth demonstration against Suqiu, led by Aziz, over allegations that the Chinese lobby group was seeking to abolish Malay special privileges.

The protest against Suqiu was one of the key issues exploited by the opposition during the by-election campaign, which purportedly resulted in a massive swing of Chinese votes against the ruling Barisan Nasional coalition.

During the press conference, Hishammuddin preferred not to let Aziz answer questions posed by journalists beyond allowing him to say that he had retracted his resignation and will stay in Umno.

"If you had heard rumours that Aziz was going to resign, then you better check with your sources," Hishamuddin told journalists.

He said that everyone should take responsibility for the Lunas defeat. He admitted that the lack of cooperation and coordination of the party was one of the reasons why BN lost in Lunas.

He refused to comment when asked if Umno members who were sent there to campaign had taken the opportunity to holiday in Penang instead.

He refuted accusations that he had neglected Lunas by holidaying in Australia. He said he had spent four days campaigning in Lunas.

He said that in the past, BN had been accepted widely by everyone but the situation has now changed.

Bring goodwill

"While it is true that the opposition has taken the opportunity to sling mud at BN and Umno, particularly by clouding national issues such as the Vision School concept and the demonstration against Suqiu, the fact remains that it is the responsibility of everyone in the coalition to accept criticism instead of pointing fingers at one another," said Hishammuddin.

"It is our united resolve to accept this responsibility because we have been given the duty to lead Umno for the past six months. I am not giving up. I am going to stay here and make sure that it works," he added.

He said that those who were in Umno had no personal interest beyond wanting to bring goodwill to the religion, race and people of this country.

He added that the coalition partners, especially MCA and MIC, should work together closely to win back the support of the people. They should go down to the grassroots to explain that only BN can ensure stability and peace in the country.

"We do not just want to talk. We want the rakyat to evaluate the situation for themselves what is right or wrong," said Hishammuddin.

"Unlike the opposition in Lunas, we were not there to make trouble but we had to ensure that our voters were not threatened, our women harassed, slapped or kicked around," he added.

He stressed that Umno is still united although it has its weaknesses. He said he is hopeful that the Umno grassroots will continue the struggle.

He acknowledged that Umno Youth's image had worsened in the eyes of non-Malays after a series of incidents but maintained that the three component parties will work together towards nation building and enhance the image of the party.

Party reform

After Hishammuddin left the press conference, Aziz told journalists that it was unfair to blame Umno totally for the loss in Lunas.

The loss in Lunas was partly due to a wrong candidate, poor infrastructure and failure to convince the Chinese regarding the Vision School and Suqiu issues.

Although many ministers had gone to Lunas to explain the issues, Aziz said it was not enough. The people who mattered were not there, he added.

"If infrastructure is bad, if there is no electricity and if there are bad roads in Lunas, don't blame Umno. That's the government's duty to ensure development," said Aziz, adding that Umno Youth does not make policies.

He said that during polling day, 11,985 people had registered at the Umno pondok panas but when results came about, only 9,185 people had voted for BN.

He said that although people often equate Umno with the government and vice-versa, "I wish we were but the fact is that we have lost our grip on the government".

Aziz reiterated that his resignation was not a sandiwara . He had, however, decided to stay back in Umno because he was interested in reforming the party. Those who left obviously had no interest to reform the party, he added.