UMNO CANNOT ADVANCE ALONE - ANNUAR

2 JAN 2021

KOTA BHARU: Barisan Nasional (BN) secretary-general Tan Sri Annuar Musa has stressed that UMNO cannot progress alone in the political arena if it wants to achieve success in the 15th general election (GE15).

Annuar said going solo is not a winning formula for UMNO and he did not agree with the decision if there are quarters in the party which voiced their objection to alliances forged with other parties.

“We should not fantasise going alone, even if there are others who want to do so for I do not agree. It is not a winning formula. I also love the party but if my opinion is wrong, then I am wrong.

“However, I have conducted a survey before this to look at the reality that UMNO cannot be alone if it wants to succeed. UMNO needs to cooperate with the concept of ‘taawun (mutual help) and tahaluf ( collaboration) if we want to succeed,” he said in a media conference after opening the Ketereh UMNO delegates’ meeting at Dewan Ghaffar Baba, Yayasan Kemiskinan Kelantan near here, Saturday.

Annuar also proposed five matters that UMNO leaders need to focus on to restore the trust as well as the confidence of the people in the party.

Commenting further, he said UMNO should be the party to lead and guide towards uniting Muslims and not as the source of splitting one other regardless of those inside or outside the party.

"UMNO should not be the champion of splitting the people. I do not agree if we are the source of the breaking up, in rejecting this person or in rejecting that person,” he said.

Apart from listening to the grassroots, Annuar who is also UMNO Ketereh division chief said UMNO should get out of the old cocoon which became the main reason the people rejected UMNO from various aspects including individuals, programmes and party political policies.

"Warlords are not the grassroots, my level as division head is not the grassroots as we sometimes speak in our personal view. We do not discuss with members below and if we bring it to the members below, we have to understand we are still the minority.

"The majority are voters who are not our members. So it is important for us to listen to the voice of the people apart from listening to the voice of the grassroots,” he explained.

Besides, the Ketereh MP also called on UMNO to return to basics which are to be near to the hearts of Muslims and Malays.

Meanwhile, Annuar refuted allegations by certain quarters that he purportedly acted ahead of the party leadership and appeared to be like a PRO (public relations officer) for Bersatu. He said he did not make any decision without the knowledge or ahead of BN or UMNO. “I did not act without the knowledge or order of the president, in fact, my duty is to build a good working relationship with our counterpart in Muafakat Nasional (MN) and other colleagues in Perikatan Nasional (PN).

"I heard there are allegations going around and I am taking the opportunity of the conference as I have kept quiet for too long and the matter has spread to the ground," he said.

On the cooperation between BN and PN, Annuar said he and the secretaries-general of other parties in PN are cooperating to ensure a conducive working environment including carrying out duties entrusted by the party.

"This is my discipline and commitment. What I did was what the party or the top leadership had decided,” he said.

Earlier, several UMNO leaders were reported as questioning several actions and statements of Annuar as if he was a spokesman for Bersatu. -Bernama