Zambry credits Johor for ‘grand old party’ BN’s revival

BN secretary-general Zambry Abdul Kadir today credited members and leaders from Johor for the coalition’s revival after its worst defeat in 2018.

Speaking at the first Johor BN convention, Zambry noted that aside from Umno, MCA, MIC and Parti Bersatu Rakyat Sabah, there were also other smaller parties representing “Friends of BN” who remained loyal even during the coalition’s toughest times.

“There are those who said BN is the ‘grand old party’...an old party that can no longer be (improved with) makeup.

“But (the age of) a party can’t be likened to human biology. Parties have new members and leaders,” said Zambry who referred to Johor BN chairperson Onn Hafiz Ghazi as a younger leader appointed to take over from Simpang Renggam MP Hasni Mohammad.

Since the last Johor state election in 2022, Onn, who won the Machap seat, was also appointed as Johor’s 19th menteri besar to succeed Hasni.

‘Look at India and Indonesia’

Zambry, who expressed confidence in BN’s survival in the upcoming polls, also cited the recent electoral successes of older political parties in India and Indonesia - partly attributed to the willingness to engage new partners.

In India, he pointed to the 138-year Indian National Congress party’s “rebound” against Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party and the governing coalition. 

“Nobody expected the Congress to rebound. The Congress party is like Umno and we have heard this during the Umno general assembly.

“The Congress party ‘came back’ with 99 seats. BJP expected a large victory but saw opposite results,” he said.

The results of India’s general election announced on June 4 saw the Modi-led NDA alliance return for a third term in power, with more than 290 seats in the 543-member Parliament but BJP on its own did not reach the figure of 272 seats needed to form the government.

Zambry also referred to Indonesia’s Golkar party and its revival since the downfall of former president Soeharto in 1998.

“Since Soeharto’s era, we often hear people say Golkar is destroyed.

“But in the last Indonesian election (in February), PDI-P (the ruling party) won around 16 percent of the popular votes, and Golkar received 15 percent,” he said.

Further, he noted that Golkar also won majority votes in 14 out of Indonesia’s 38 provinces, while PDI-P only led in 10 provinces.

“BN has close ties with Golkar… Golkar has similar features to BN. So, in politics, don’t be easily disheartened.

“Don’t run away from the struggle,” he said.

Zambry, who delivered the convention’s closing address to over 1,000 members, accepted five resolutions passed to chart the coalition’s future towards GE16 and the next state election.

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