UMNO’s 80th Anniversary A Key Milestone In Shaping Party’s Future - Ahmad Zahid

KUALA LUMPUR, May 9 (Bernama) -- UMNO’s 80th anniversary celebration is not merely a commemoration of the party’s long history since 1946, but also a key milestone in shaping its future direction, particularly for the next two decades.

Its president Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said the significance of the party’s eight decades in the country’s political landscape should serve as a reflection to further strengthen strategic planning, including producing capable future leaders to ensure UMNO’s continuity and strength, as it approaches its 100th anniversary in 2046.

“This means that the celebration and experience gained over these 80 years should serve as guidance in preparing agendas for the next 20 years and beyond, as UMNO continues to exist in the country’s political arena for 100 years,” he said in a special interview held recently in conjunction with UMNO’s 80th anniversary.

Ahmad Zahid, who is also Barisan Nasional (BN) chairman, said among the most meaningful aspects of this year’s UMNO celebration was the success in translating several major agenda items involving the interests of various segments of society.

“One is the response to the Rumah Bangsa initiative, secondly, the support from NGOs (non-governmental organisations), professionals, individuals and opinion leaders, as well as influencers through the Musyawarah Nasional and National Collaboration,” he said.

“The Cabinet has agreed for the Ummah Consultative Council to translate all these agenda items into action, and this represents a national agenda, where we understand that there should be no differences in stance or opinion regarding agenda items which have been collectively agreed upon,” he said.

Commenting on UMNO’s disappointing performance after the 14th General Election (GE14) in 2018, Ahmad Zahid, who is also Deputy Prime Minister, said that the party was facing a serious crisis of confidence at the time.

“From my observation, UMNO experiences a crisis almost every 10 years, and the latest in 2018 was not just a crisis, but a crisis of declining public confidence.

“For the next 20 years, I have stressed the need to develop a new generation of leaders, and I must first lay a strong foundation, before a capable line-up of future leaders can steer UMNO towards its 100th anniversary in 2046.

He added that efforts to strengthen the party again were being carried out gradually, by focusing on internal unity and regaining grassroots support.

Ahmad Zahid explained that it involves reforms to the party’s internal structure, as well as the implementation of several strategic initiatives on a national scale.

“I am not saying that UMNO is already strong, but we are gradually organising several programmes so that we can return to our original footing, with the support of the Malays in particular forming the basis of UMNO’s strengthening process,” he said.

Previously, UMNO Supreme Council member Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Maslan was reported as saying that UMNO’s membership currently stands at 3.525 million members as of January this year.

-- BERNAMA