KUALA LUMPUR: Umno can no longer afford internal divisions as the party faces a weakened political position, Umno vice-president Datuk Seri Johari Abdul Ghani said.
He stressed that unity is now critical for the party’s survival and country’s political stability.
“Malaysia has entered a new political era where no single party can dominate on its own,” he told reporters after attending the president’s briefing ahead of the assembly.
“Cooperation and compromise are unavoidable if we are to govern effectively and face both domestic and international challenges.
“We can no longer continue to differ among ourselves. The party is no longer as strong as it once was. We must unite to face the challenges domestically and from abroad.”
Johari said political differences must be managed strategically to ensure political stability, which in turn would allow the country to benefit from sustainable economic growth.
“Political stability is important. When there is stability, we can give confidence to investors and ensure that economic development can be enjoyed by everyone.”
Addressing repeated calls for political unity, Johari said cohesion should be assessed in the context of today’s political realities compared with the past.
“If we compare before and now, we are actually more united than people think. Today, no party has an absolute majority, yet we can still cooperate and govern the country together with many other parties and the country remains peaceful.”
He added that this reflected a growing political maturity, with parties of different backgrounds and ideologies able to work together.
Asked whether Umno’s role in the Unity government helped bring Malay voters closer to the party, Johari said: “Honestly, I don’t have an answer. We have to wait for the election. That is the only real measure.”
He cited Sabah as an example, noting that Umno contested 45 seats but won only six, while Pakatan Harapan secured just one.
“Electoral strength can no longer be defined in simple terms. In Sabah, the state government has to be formed through a coalition. There is no longer an absolute majority like in the past. We have to accept that reality.”
Johari said Umno must now focus on fielding candidates who can function effectively as a team, instead of relying on individual prominence.
“You can’t have everyone as a striker and you can’t have everyone as a goalkeeper. You need a complete team with different strengths. Unity must first be felt within the party before it can be projected to the public.
“Before the people miss Umno, members must miss Umno. If we don’t value and strengthen our unity, how can we expect people to support us?”
