Acting Umno president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi believes that BN will be able to make a comeback against a government that is built on "hatred."

"A government that is built on hatred, on issues that (BN) could not respond to due to poor communication, or not being grounded in reality – eventually that government will be punished by the people," he told a press conference in Kuala Lumpur.

Speaking to journalists after chairing the Umno supreme council meeting, Zahid said BN can look to other countries where long-time parties were defeated but managed to make a comeback.

"We are confident, based on the experiences in countries that have gone through the same situation as Umno and BN, that we can rise again," he said.

Zahid also called on Umno members to close ranks.

"We will move forward, garner new support and fix our weaknesses. We admit our mistakes, and we will fix them," he said.

Former prime minister Najib Abdul Razak led BN to its first defeat since independence, ending the coalition's 61 years in power.

Najib has since resigned as Umno president and BN chairperson.