Umno must rebuild image, says Najib

IPOH: Datuk Seri Najib Razak wants Umno members to prioritise the party's struggles if they want the party to be strong again.

"We need to return to our original struggle. The party is more important than personal interests," he said when opening the Umno Veterans' second general assembly here last night.

The Umno deputy president said for Umno to restore its might, it must rebuild its image.

"There's no point in winning the divisional top posts but lose the parliamentary and state seats.

"Our struggle for the party must be honest and sincere."
In this context, he called on members to emulate Umno veterans' spirit of putting the party above personal interests.

"In the old days, Umno members were willing to make sacrifice for the party while personal interests were set aside.

"There was no such thing as salam kosong (empty greetings) or salam berisi (filled greetings).

"There was only salam perjuangan (greetings for party's struggle)," he said to applause from the more than 200 delegates present.

Najib, who is deputy prime minster, said Umno members of the early days would sacrifice their energy and possessions for the party's struggle, and such noble values must be put into practice by the present generation for the continuity of the party's struggle.

Najib said the role of Umno veterans should not be sidelined and they should never be regarded as a spent force.

Present were the chairman of Umno Malaysia Veterans Tan Sri Tajudin Ali and party vice-presidents Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin and Datuk Seri Mohd Ali Rustam. -- Bernama