Presidential hopeful Ahmad Zahid Hamidi has reminded those suggesting that Umno open up its membership to non-Malays of the fate of its founder, Onn Jaafar.

Fellow contender for the Umno top post, Khairy Jamaluddin, had previously mooted Umno becoming a multiracial party.  

But Zahid expressed his doubt over the feasibility of the proposal.

“I respect his (Khairy’s) stance and opinion, he may do it if he is elected as the new Umno president.

“I would like to see whether he can translate it into action, because Onn Jaafar tried to open the membership of Umno to non-Malays and (look) what happened to him.

History has told us about it,” the acting president said at a press conference at the Umno's headquarters today.

Onn left Umno in 1951 after his suggestions to rename the party ‘United Malaysian National Organisation’ went unheeded.

Rebuilding Umno

At the press conference, Zahid also spoke about his plans for rebuilding the party.

The first step, he said, was for Umno to admit its shortcomings in the 14th general election, where it lost control of federal power for the first time since the country achieved independence.

Read more: Zahid moots formation of new coalition ‘similar to BN’

The former deputy prime minister also stressed that it was now time for Umno to be a “constructive opposition” while staying true to its struggle of uniting and defending Malays.  

“We have to see to how the unity among the Malays can be improved…without being racist.

“We belong to a plural society and in this society, the Malay-Bumiputera agenda must be carried out.

“We want to see that the position of Islam follows what is written in the Federal Constitution. The position of the Malay rulers should not be disputed, as with the special rights of the Malays, as per the Constitution,” he said.

Zahid, who is Bagan Datuk Umno chief and its MP, also vowed to review the party’s charter and its organisational structure.

“This includes looking at whether Umno, which is now a membership-based party, can perhaps set up a volunteer wing and a ‘sympathiser’ wing.

“But it is important to get feedback from the grassroots before any policy changes are made,” he said.