PETALING JAYA: Umno president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi says the party will ensure that candidates for the general election are those who abide by the party’s decisions, having learned the value of loyalty after the 2018 polls.
In a Facebook post, Zahid said Umno wanted to choose candidates who truly had the party’s and Barisan Nasional’s interests at heart, instead of their own.
“Anyone who is arrogant and thinks themselves greater than the party’s struggles should know their place. After Parliament’s dissolution, there were some who realised that they actually belonged to Umno.
“(They realised) that everything they enjoyed, including the positions they held, was essentially because they were an Umno member, not because they represented the voice of Bersatu or PAS or any other external party,” he said.
The BN chairman said Umno needed elected representatives who were loyal to the party and would not be easily influenced by external elements seeking to use them as proxies within Umno itself.
He said it was time to ensure internal stability in the party and prevent elected representatives from criticising Umno after they were elected in the polls.
“God-willing, Umno’s top five leaders will ensure the candidates chosen are leaders who are disciplined and not arrogant, candidates who will be bold in defending Umno and who will not speak out against their own leaders.”
Umno’s top five refers to Zahid, his deputy Mohamad Hasan, and the three party vice-presidents – Ismail Sabri Yaakob, Khaled Nordin and Mahdzir Khalid.
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