Umno will “die of old age” unless the party rejuvenates itself by voting in more younger leaders, said former party president Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad.
Dr Mahathir said delegates to the party’s coming elections next month should ensure that the top positions, especially at the supreme council, which is Umno’s highest decision-making body, are filled with an adequate number of young leaders.
“Only if Umno is rejuvenated by younger leaders can it continue to carry on its struggles entrusted to it by the Malays,” wrote the former prime minister in a hard-hitting commentary in Utusan Malaysia yesterday.
He said many Umno founders were in their 30s when they started the struggle and they managed to deny the British their Malayan Union and helped gain independence for the country as they had big dreams for the Malay community.
“But they and their successors are now old. They are past their time. Their contributions have become less and less,” wrote Dr Mahathir.
He said it was important for older leaders to realise that they should not stay longer than necessary as people would become fed up with those “who are out of date but who still cannot accept the truth”.
Dr Mahathir also said that some leaders who had overstayed were willing to do anything to remain in power, including bribing voting delegates at the party elections.
“Many are easily swayed by bribes. Not much. Even RM200 can affect the thinking of some party members.”
Urging for an end to money politics, Dr Mahathir reminded party members that if they chose corrupt leaders, these leaders would not hesitate to sell out the Malays.
“We must accept that Umno today is no longer trusted by many Malays. That is why they are setting up non-governmental organisations.
“If they had many choices, Umno would have lost in the 13th general election,” wrote Dr Mahathir.
He reminded party members and leaders not to hold on to the mistaken belief that Umno would continue to win in general elections regardless of what the party did because there was no other choice – TheStarOnline
