Umno deputy president Mohamad Hasan has acknowledged the delay in fixing Umno's image and reputation following its loss in the 14th general election and pledged to address it the soonest possible.
The former Negeri Sembilan menteri besar said this in a statement today, with regard to the decision by Jeli MP Mustapa Mohamad and Kimanis MP Anifah Umno to quit Umno.
"Their resignations are saddening. Both are well-liked, skilled leaders. Their contributions to Umno and the country cannot be denied and we appreciate all that they have done.
"However, they have chosen to go separate ways by leaving Umno. I'm sure this is not an easy decision for all," he said, adding that the party leadership and the Umno supreme council is concerned about this latest development.
Mohamad then admitted that attempts to fix Umno's image post-GE14 have not progressed as expected by many.
"I admit that in the last four months, the process to fix Umno after GE14, and chartering the party's future path, has gone rather slow, and not as radically and energetically as expected by all quarters.
"This has created uneasiness and uncertainty, which has proved to be harmful to all quarters.
"Therefore, I would like to stress that serious attention will be paid to this matter after this, to ensure Umno is not seen as a rudderless party, or one that has deviated from its original struggle," Mohamad said.
"In fact, I believe there is a need to press for the rehabilitation agenda to be shared with all, soon.
"I, as well as the party president and the supreme council, will take responsibility for this," he added.
Mohamad then urged Umno members and supporters to continue supporting the party in "these challenging times", in order to make the party emerge as the party of choice, again.
Earlier today, Umno president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi criticised the resignation of the two former ministers, saying it is not "praiseworthy nor exemplary attitude."
Mustapa and Anifah announced their resignations from the party yesterday and today respectively.
Mustapa cited the difficulty of addressing the trust deficit in Umno as the reason for his departure, while Anifah said Umno and BN had failed to deliver on promises made in relation to the Malaysia Agreement 1963.
Umno won a total of 54 parliamentary seats in the 14th general election, but five MPs have since quit, putting the party on par with PKR's representation of 49 MPs.
Besides Mustapa and Anifah, Masjid Tanah MP Mas Ermieyati Samsudin, Bukit Gantang MP Syed Abu Hussin Hafiz Syed Abdul Fasal and Bagan Serai MP Noor Azmi Ghazali have also left the party.
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