Don’t make hasty decisions, statements, says Johor Umno Youth chief

PASIR GUDANG: Umno members should not make hasty decisions or statements that are based solely on the recent loss in the Sungai Bakap by-election, says Johor Umno Youth chief Noor Azleen Ambros.

“The outcome of this by-election has caused some to panic. Some have started to panic, and there are voices from the ground suggesting that we (Umno) should review our position in the unity government.

“These statements have become apparent recently, with some saying we should stand alone or align with others, but we should not be hasty about this as it could ultimately harm Umno.

He said this when met by reporters at the Pasir Gudang Umno Youth meeting at a restaurant in Taman Rinting here on Saturday (July 20) night.

Noor Azleen added that losing a by-election is a common occurrence for the government and that it should not be used as a yardstick to measure the performance of the current government as a whole.

He added that what Umno needs to do right now is focus on strengthening the party and the unity government.

“We know that many are dissatisfied with the performance of the unity government today due to several reform issues, such as the targeted diesel subsidy, all of which affect public confidence in the unity government.

“However, Umno must take responsibility to strengthen the unity government, to ensure it can function well, and most importantly, to deliver and do the best for the people,” he said, adding that that should be Umno's focus today because the party has seven ministers in the unity government.

He said there are two aspects that Umno needs to consider within the unity government.

“We need to ensure that we play an effective role within the government, ensuring that what the government does is the best for the people and ultimately has a positive impact on society.

“Secondly, we need to consider who we will align with as we approach 16th General Election (GE16), taking into account many factors. If you ask me, or the Johor Umno Youth, the coalition we choose must be the one that can provide us with the most seats to contest in GE16.

On July 6, Perikatan Nasional retained the Sungai Bakap state seat after its candidate Abidin Ismail won with a majority of 4,267 votes, defeating Pakatan Harapan candidate Dr Joohari Ariffin.