UMNO needs to stop blaming others, said Johari

PETALING JAYA: UMNO needs to stop blaming others and instead look at itself to deal with the party’s declining popularity.

According to FMT, UMNO Vice President Datuk Seri Johari Abdul Ghani said the party also needs to stop blaming former leaders of UMNO, PKR and DAP while describing the action as unproductive.

He, who is also the Minister of Plantation and Commodities, said that the struggle to return to relevance instead lies with each member of the party, a news portal reported.

The Titiwangsa Member of Parliament said that Barisan Nasional (BN) is as strong as its component members.

“If UMNO is strong, so are its allies in BN, namely MCA and MIC. If we are weak, so is MIC or MCA. It is simple logic,” he said when officiating the Kepala Batas Division UMNO Representative Meeting at Bertam Resort, yesterday.

He also said that the only way for UMNO to strengthen itself is to work harder and focus on itself rather than what others think.

He said, after losing the Titiwangsa seat in the 2018 General Election (GE), he had to work harder than before to convince party members and outsiders to support him.

He said, UMNO needs to return to its roots in choosing the right leader in the midst of its struggle to reposition itself following the heavy losses it suffered in the 2018 and 2022 GEs, despite now being part of the Unity Government.

“What is important is not to give up, work harder and with time, support will return to UMNO,” he said.

Johari also said that Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, President of PKR, was once a member of UMNO and that the party had identified his leadership skills and capabilities.

He said the party should thank Anwar for trying to dignify him and learn to work with him to develop the country.