UMNO Malaysia Women’s Exco Datuk Nurulhidayah Ahmad Zahid has reminded party members that loyalty to UMNO’s core struggle must remain their guiding principle, stressing that the party’s cause is far greater than any individual’s ambitions or political preferences.
Her remarks came in response to Investment, Trade and Industry Minister Tengku Datuk Seri Zafrul Tengku Abdul Aziz’s recent statement explaining his decision to join Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) six months after leaving UMNO. Zafrul claimed that PKR’s principles of struggle were more aligned with his personal stance.
Nurulhidayah, however, viewed such reasoning as misleading and damaging to UMNO’s integrity, especially coming from someone who once held senior positions within the party. She said that when a person is entrusted with an important role — such as being a senator or a member of the Supreme Working Council (MKT) — it is not a mere title but a moral and political responsibility that demands loyalty to the party’s policies and values.
Holding a position, she said, required discipline, trust, and respect for the party’s mandate, not temporary commitment based on convenience or shifting alliances. “When someone is given the responsibility to represent UMNO, that trust carries obligations beyond personal interest,” she said.
Nurulhidayah also cautioned that public statements suggesting that another party’s struggle aligns more closely with one’s own could confuse UMNO’s grassroots and undermine the credibility of its leadership. She questioned whether loyalty to UMNO’s ideals should last only for as long as a member holds office.
“UMNO’s struggle has never been about individuals. It is a collective mission built on decades of sacrifice and trust. The departure of one or a few should not derail the party’s greater purpose,” she said.
She urged UMNO members not to be disheartened by episodes like this, reminding them that the party had weathered greater storms before. What mattered, she said, was the continued effort to rebuild public confidence and uphold UMNO’s values.
Concluding her remarks, Nurulhidayah said that what ultimately defines a political leader is not their title or popularity but their honesty, loyalty, and consistency in upholding true principles.
“In the end, names fade and positions change — but integrity remains,” she said, wishing Zafrul well in his new political chapter.
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