INTERVIEW | Umno's new president must be able to ensure that the party stands tall and is able to fight well with Pakatan Harapan, party supreme council member Bung Moktar Radin said ahead of the June 30 party elections.

"We need a president who can fight for the people and listen to the people instead of someone who is "syiok sendiri" (self-indulgent).

"I hope the new president (and his team) can deliver and work for the party. They must have the vision to bring Umno out of the situation of being a loser," Bung Moktar told Malaysiakini.

The new president and his team should see that Umno continues to be relevant and is widely accepted by the rakyat, as well as pave the way for the party and BN to face the 15th general election, which will be due in 2023, he said.

Following former prime minister Najib Abdul Razak's resignation as both Umno president and BN chairperson after the May 9 general election, former deputy prime minister and Umno acting deputy president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi is currently carrying out the functions of the Umno president's office.

So far, Zahid and political analyst Rahmat Azim Abdul Aziz have announced their plans to contest the party's top post. Other potential candidates for the Umno presidency include Umno veteran Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah and Jeli MP Mustapa Mohamed.

While acknowledging that Zahid has the qualities to helm the party, Bung Moktar said he and his Kinabatangan division and grassroots will have to study the final candidate list.

"It is too early to decide. We don't want to regret later the decision we made because we cannot afford to make a mistake. Umno must be led by someone who can make the party stand tall and fight with another party," he said.

As for him, he said he would be defending his Kinabatangan division chief's post as well as his supreme council seat.

He admitted that some in Sabah had pushed for him to contest the party's top post but he had rejected this as he wasn't prepared for such a move at the present time.

"As the top leader, you need more time for the party and for the people... I am not prepared for that," he said.

Warlords have a role

Bung Moktar also cautioned against the coming party elections being turned into a factional battle that would split the party.

"We have to realise that Umno is on the losing side and if we fight one another, then there will be even worse times ahead waiting for the party," he said.

While acknowledging that the party needed to change, he said the reform need not necessarily mean getting rid of so-called "warlords" in Umno.

The term "warlord" is often used by political pundits to refer to autocratic-minded leaders in power that remain at their respective pots for decades.

According to Bung Moktar said all parties, including those in Pakatan Harapan, have warlords.

"A warlord even exists in a family. You cannot separate them from society," he added.

"However, the warlords must know the rules and they must know how to play the game. If they don't know how to play the game, then the game will kill us," he said.

"I don't consider myself a warlord but if I deny this, then people will not agree. So let's leave it at that. More importantly, you must know how to play your role among your supporters," he said, adding that he felt that a warlord could help the party at a difficult time.

They (warlords) should learn to change and stop whatever bad practices they had and continue to contribute to Umno, noted Bung Moktar.