Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak has called on UMNO members to ignore "jemuan-jemuan" (bad characters) and apple-polishers as these people caused disunity in the ranks.

Najib, who is also UMNO president, said UMNO was capable of remaining in power and win elections if these "unwanted people" were not in the party.

"The "jemuan" are worse than apple-polishers and "batu ronson" (instigators), because they try to pit us against each other, so much so our shortcomings are amplified, party harmony is affected.

"Leave them out, if the "jemuan" are not there, the Barisan Nasional (BN) and UMNO will win," he said when opening the 2015 Kedah UMNO Convention here, Saturday.

Also present was Kedah Menteri Besar Datuk Mukhriz Mahathir, who is also Kedah UMNO chief.

The two-day convention is being attended by delegates from the 15 UMNO divisions in the state.

Najib said getting rid of these negative elements was important to secure UMNO's future.

"This is more important the Kulim International Airport or a proposal to convert a loan (to the Kedah government) to a grant, although they are no less important. If we are united and work as a team, God willing, UMNO will continue to win, those are the ingredients (unity and teamwork)," he said.

UMNO members, the UMNO president said, should ensure the party's interest came first and not personal interests and that internal problems (in the party) must be reduced so as to ensure UMNO received continued support from the people.

"Among the pull factors (people's support for UMNO) is the team spirit inherent in the party. So avoid internal problems and let us not bicker among ourselves. Let there be no factions in a division as this will make us hard-pressed to make our choices," he added.

Thus, he urged UMNO members not to repeat past mistakes in the future.