Close ranks, move as one to win GE15, Khaled tells Umno
Umno is now entering election mode after its constitutional amendment obtained green light, and vice-president Mohamed Khaled Nordin has called for unity among members so the party can move in one direction in order to win the general election.
He stressed that to achieve victory in GE15, Umno must be united and not move according to the direction of the party’s president, the prime minister, or any other group or cluster.
“For this unity to be achieved...
Umno is now entering election mode after its constitutional amendment obtained green light, and vice-president Mohamed Khaled Nordin has called for unity among members so the party can move in one direction in order to win the general election.
Khaled (above) stressed that to achieve victory in GE15, Umno must be united and not move according to the direction of the party’s president, the prime minister, or any other group or cluster.
“For this unity to be achieved, all factions within Umno must come together. Do not be carried away by infighting and politicking, as it would only weaken Umno from the inside,” he said in a Facebook post today.
He admitted that while there was friction in Umno, it was imperative for it to not lead to the party’s downfall.
“True, we will not be able to agree on everything, but do not let our differences of opinion divide us. That is wrong,” he said.
Khaled said that Umno also needed to wholeheartedly support Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob, and similarly, the prime minister needed to support the party and its president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi.
“They must reinforce each other. The prime minister acts as the voice of Umno, and the president acts as the nation’s spokesperson.
“Only this way, the government and party can continue to move in the same direction,” he said.
Zahid’s discretion
The Umno general assembly’s May 15 decision to amend its party constitution has been approved by the Registrar of Societies (ROS) yesterday.
This meant that the Umno supreme council can now decide to hold internal leadership elections six months after a general election.
Before the term expired last year, the leadership invoked Clause 10.16 of its constitution to delay its election for 18 months. That deadline will expire on Dec 29 this year.
Observers told Malaysiakini that the ROS' decision to approve the amendment will likely embolden Umno president Zahid who is pressuring Prime Minister Ismail Sabri to hold parliamentary elections.
By delaying Umno’s leadership polls, Zahid has secured the power to choose the party's candidates for GE15.
Observers expect Zahid to stack the candidates with his loyalists, which can be useful when choosing a prime minister after the general election.
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