KUALA LUMPUR: Umno may have captured Nenggiri but it does not spell voters’ return to the party, says Datuk Seri Mohamad Hassan.
"Our success in Nenggiri is just the beginning of a long, arduous and challenging journey towards rebuilding the party.
"The fact is, it is not clear whether the Malays have returned to fully support Umno," he said at the joint opening of Umno Youth, Wanita and Puteri wings on Wednesday (Aug 21) night.
On Aug 17, Barisan Nasional clinched victory in the Nenggiri by-election in Kelantan, snatching the seat PAS won in last year’s state polls.
Barisan candidate Mohd Azmawi Fikri Abdul Ghani secured 9,091 votes, while Mohd Rizwadi Ismail, who ran under the PAS banner, had 5,739 votes.
He said one of the lessons learnt from the by-election is that support from the Malays is not fixed and could change according to the dynamics of the candidates, strategies and issues presented.
The Umno deputy president also said that despite being in the unity government, the party should not sway from its focus to restore the confidence of the Malays towards the party.
He pointed out that the party was not in full power but playing a complementary role in the unity government.
“Our responsibility to return confidence to Umno must be an ongoing effort that should not stop merely because we are part of the government,” he said.
“What is for sure is that the road to winning the hearts and minds of the Malays will not be easy. It will take time but this is what struggle is all about.
“For us to win back the trust, the most crucial strategy is for the party to have a united front.
“Umno must be solid, its members must remain steadfast and loyal. The Malays’ confidence towards the party will return if they see us strong as one,” he said.
On the 16th general election, Mohamad said that although the national polls is three years away, Umno must prepare from now if it wants voters to return to the party.
He proposed the setting up of "Team Sukses Umno" to give full-time focus on electoral matters.
"Umno must not adopt a wartime strategy but rather must function as a business entity.
"The change in strategy is crucial as we want voters to buy the Umno brand again," he added.
Also present were Umno youth chief Dr Muhamad Akmal Saleh, Wanita chief Datuk Seri Dr Noraini Ahmad and Puteri chief Datuk Nurul Amal Mohd Fauzi.
