I didn’t walk into UMNO because it was easy.
I walked in because it felt uncomfortable.
And sometimes, that’s exactly where change begins.
My late father, a man who understood politics better than most, didn’t initially think UMNO was the place for me.
He believed I might fit better elsewhere.
His concern was simple, but honest.
“Are you Malay enough for UMNO?”
That question stayed with me.
Not because it broke me, but because it challenged me.
What does “Malay enough” even mean today?
Is it language? Culture? Appearance?
Or is it something deeper..
identity, responsibility, and the willingness to stand for your own community when it matters most?
In 2018, UMNO was at its lowest point.
For the first time in history, it lost the general election under Najib Razak.
People walked away.
Some out of anger.
Some out of disappointment.
Some simply because it was no longer fashionable to stay.
But I saw something different.
I saw a party stripped of power.
And when power is stripped away, what remains is truth.
That was when I met a group of Puteri UMNO leaders.
Young. Driven. Unpolished in the best way.
They weren’t there for positions.
They were there because they believed.
And in that moment, something clicked.
I didn’t see a perfect party.
I saw a party that needed rebuilding.
I saw gaps.
I saw weaknesses.
I saw everything people were criticising.
But more importantly…
I saw where I could contribute.
Because real change doesn’t come from standing outside and shouting.
It comes from walking in, sitting down, and doing the hard work nobody else wants to do.
UMNO didn’t need another critic.
It needed people willing to stay when it was difficult.
That was my turning point.
I didn’t join UMNO because it was strong.
I joined when it was broken.
Because that’s when you know who truly believes.
And maybe my father was right in one way.
Maybe I wasn’t “Malay enough” in the traditional sense.
But perhaps that’s exactly why I belong.
Because UMNO today doesn’t just need loyalty.
It needs evolution.
It needs voices that challenge, not just agree.
It needs women who don’t fit into a mould, but reshape it.
I didn’t come into UMNO to blend in.
I came in to build.
And the truth is…
If you only join a party when it is winning,
then you were never there for the party.
You were there for the victory.
And today, despite everything…
I still hold on to one thing.
Hope.
Hope that UMNO can rebuild.
Hope that it can return to its purpose, not just its power.
Hope that we stop pretending everything is fine, and start fixing what is broken.
Because rebuilding is not about slogans.
It is about honesty.
It is about courage.
It is about people who are willing to stay when it is easier to walk away.
I stayed.
And I still believe.
Because sometimes…
hope is the most rebellious thing you can have.
RAJA SARA PETRA
Raja Sara Petra (rajasarapetra@gmail.com) is a content creator under the Newswav Creator programme, where you get to express yourself, be a citizen journalist, and at the same time monetize your content & reach millions of users on Newswav. Log in to creator.newswav.com and become a Newswav Creator now!
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