Annuar's views can save the party - Damansara UMNO head

KUALA LUMPUR: The views of former Barisan Nasional (BN) secretary-general Tan Sri Annuar Musa on various issues involving the party need to be considered in order to save UMNO.

Damansara UMNO division head, Datuk Ikhwan Salim Sujak, explained that the party also cannot be stereotypical and agree with whatever the leaders say.

"I think UMNO must change and now we hear all kinds of views but when there are views, they are considered against the president.

“In fact, they are not, they are proposals from the grassroots.

“We talk endlessly to get married but if we are strong and good, people want to marry us, we don't have to look for people to get married to.

“So, to me, (Annuar’s) thoughtful views of changing UMNO is good for us to think about, let’s not stereotype anything and agree.

"We have to change according to the times. Now, in this digital world, when we speak people do not want to listen. When they want to ask, the questions are ready," he said in a statement on Thursday.

Earlier, Annuar revealed at least four peculiarities that occurred during the 2020 UMNO General Assembly (PAU2020) last month.

The Ketereh UMNO division head also claimed that there were parties who had arranged proposals to be brought to PAU2020.

He said that usually the motions were brought independently by the divisions but he claimed that there were parties that arranged the motions that were brought at the divisional level meetings.

Ikhwan also said UMNO today is seen as still in the old way in terms of hierarchy and is not thinking of determining a new face to become a leader.

Prior to this, Jelebu UMNO division head, Datuk Jalaluddin Alias, said that the party needs to take Annuar's views seriously on the issue of the party’s political alignment.

He stressed that any statement made by Annuar could not be rejected outright because of the interests of certain parties in the party.

Annuar had previously revealed how the task assigned to him to be the bridge between UMNO and Bersatu was stalled when there was a 'breakdown' in the effort to bring together the top leaders of the two parties.

He stressed that the instruction from UMNO President Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi was for him to get in touch with Bersatu, but in the end, he was accused of being a ‘thorn in the flesh’ to the party.