KUALA TERENGGANU: Terengganu Umno Liaison Committee chairman, Datuk Rozi Mamat (pix), has requested that he be given time to outline the vision and mission he wants to put forth, after being given the mandate to lead the party in the state.

The former Telemong assemblyman said that it was too early for him to talk about the direction, as he described his appointment to replace Datuk Seri Ahmad Said as a bit of a surprise.

“Give me about a month to present my vision and mission... Insya-Allah we will see a clearer and more organised direction for Terengganu Umno, to restore the people’s trust in Umno.

“There has to be a proper blueprint to restore the confidence of the people. We have already made a decision, together with the division and wing leaders, to work together. We understand Umno’s current position and are very aware of the rejection. So, we will arrange steps from scratch... and maybe rebranding Umno to be more suitable for Terengganu,” he said.

He said this to reporters at a press conference, after the handing over of the duties of the Terengganu Umno Liaison Committee chairman, here.

“However, first thing first, I will strengthen the relationship of the Umno family first. We will discuss what are the weaknesses together, and we will look outside (appointing new faces) old or young,” he said, while confirming that there will be a reshuffle in the state Umno following his appointment to the post.

Touching on the absence of an opposition bloc in the State Legislative Assembly, after PAS swept 32 seats in the last 15th State Election, Rozi, who was previously the state Umno secretary, said that the party will continue to carry out the function of checks and balances well, through social media in particular.

He also expressed confidence that Umno will be able to rise again in Terengganu, as the political landscape is changing according to the current situation, and will conduct a detailed study to identify the current rejection factors of the people, including the confusion regarding the combination of Barisan Nasional (BN) and Pakatan Harapan (PH).

Umno president Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, through a letter issued last week, announced the appointment of Rozi and Johor Menteri Besar Datuk Onn Hafiz Ghazi, as Terengganu and Johor Umno Liaison Committee chairmen, with immediate effect.

In the letter, Ahmad Zahid said that the appointment of Rozi and Onn Hafiz was made in accordance with Clause 12.5 of the Umno constitution. -Bernama