PAU: Zahid kata ‘cukuplah’, ‘bagi peluang kami pula’

Presiden Umno Zahid Hamidi reiterated the demand for PRU16 as he believes the party, through the blue wave, will regain the mandate to form the government. In his introductory speech, Zahid also referred to certain parties using the phrases "enough-enough" and "for the sake of our chances." He emphasized that the timing of PRU16 being postponed is not a demand or hope, but the will of the people.

"Enough-enough. For the sake of our chances... mindful of the details. Even until the roots of our branches. As we have opposed, we have always opposed. Opponents will triumph," he said during his presidential speech at the Umno General Assembly in Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre. Zahid stated that the blue wave brought by Umno is not just to make the party a supporting player for the government, but to regain the mandate to lead the nation.

He said, "The Malaysian political landscape is now much more precarious due to the loyalty of voters that cannot be taken for granted." "The younger generation is not bound by old political nostalgia. That's why we cannot use a one-size-fits-all formula for all fields," he added. He noted that the results from Sabah, Johor, and Negeri Sembilan provide different lessons for the party ahead of PRU16.

Zahid said, "Eight years after Umno and Barisan Nasional (BN) lost power in 2018, it should be a time for the party to introspect and understand the changes in politics." He pointed out that the decline in actual support has been evident since 2008 when BN lost its two-thirds majority, followed by a continuous decline in support in 2013.

"However, a rising party cannot just be nostalgic and blame others. We must realize that defeat usually does not start when we lose. Rather, it starts when we become too sure that we will never lose," he concluded.