All together: Ahmad Zahid (front, third from left) hand in hand with MCA president Datuk Seri Dr Wee Ka Siong before the cake-cutting ceremony during Umno’s 79th anniversary in Kuala Lumpur. — AZLINA ABDULLAH/The Star
KUALA LUMPUR: Umno must embrace three principles to reform itself and thrive in a political landscape where no political party can be dominant, says Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi.
The majority of young voters today also have no loyalty to political brands and are not nostalgic about a party’s past struggles, the Umno president said.
“There is no longer a dominant party like before the 14th General Election. We are now in an era of uncertainty where parties must negotiate, share power, and form coalitions,” he said in his speech during Umno’s 79th anniversary celebrations yesterday.
He said Gen Z and Gen Alpha voters are more discerning and critical, with little loyalty to political brands.
“There is a growing trust deficit. Their dependency on political parties is fading, shaped by the image of leaders who bicker, make hollow promises, and neglect public interest,” he said.
The voters of this generation are influenced more by the pace and language of social media rather than by old political rhetoric, he added.
“They don’t care for sentimental tales of struggle. They want a future filled with hope, and if we fail to realign our values and messaging, we risk becoming irrelevant,” he said.
To stay competitive, Ahmad Zahid said Umno must embrace three key approaches: politik solusi (solution-based politics), politik legasi (legacy-building) and politik moderasi (moderate politics).
“People want real solutions, not more rhetoric. We must nurture bold, competent, critically-thinking successors – and stay the course as a rational, centrist force that unites, not divides,” he said.
He also cautioned Umno members against falling into the trap of sentiment and perception, urging them instead to move in unison to regain public trust.
Ahmad Zahid added that Umno remains open to welcoming former members back, as long as their intentions are sincere.
The 79th anniversary celebration yesterday also marked the first convocation of Sekolah Patriotik Umno Malaysia, with 48 students receiving their certificates.
Earlier in his speech, Ahmad Zahid also took aim at what he called “next-level political hypocrisy” from an opposition party that once aligned with DAP for nearly a decade but now aggressively stirs religious and racial sentiment.
“Let’s not forget that those who are now eager to provoke religious and racial emotions once stood alongside DAP in Barisan Alternatif and Pakatan Rakyat,” he said.
He added that unlike Umno, which remained grounded in its principles, the opposition party in question once allowed its members to perform prayers outside DAP offices and exalted DAP leaders to the level of revered Islamic figures.
“When we worked with MCA and MIC, we were labelled infidels. Now, the same party copies that very model but hides behind religious rhetoric. That is hypocrisy of the highest order,” he said.
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