'I'm not worried about sacking, just want UMNO safe' - Annuar Musa

KUALA LUMPUR: Former Barisan Nasional (BN) secretary-general Tan Sri Annuar Musa has stressed that he was not worried about being sacked from UMNO because of his outspokenness in criticising the party.

The Member of Parliament for Ketereh explained that all the criticisms he made were for the good of the party and to save UMNO so that it would always be accepted by the people.

He said he would accept it if his openness caused him to be sacked.

"I have nothing to worry about, I just want UMNO to be safe, respected and liked by the people.

"I am member number 124 out of 3.5 million members. I am also one of the sponsors, reviving the new UMNO after the party was banned besides I am a member of the Supreme Council (MT) for almost 30 years," he explained.

Annuar said this after officiating the 37th Annual General Meeting of the Ketereh branch of the ATM Veterans Association at the Kelantan Poverty Foundation (YKK), here on Saturday.

Annuar said he had received various insinuations that he was not loyal to the party.

"All sorts of people are insinuating that they want to sack me, saying as if I am not loyal and want to jump to Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia (Bersatu). I want to ask if they are able to prove their loyalty to the party beyond my loyalty," he added.

Commenting further, the Federal Territories Minister also stressed that his criticisms were to ensure that the party was not used as a tool for the interests of certain groups and individuals, instead UMNO's priority was to win the 15th General Election (GE15).

"Be brave to accept our (UMNO) weaknesses, if those days ... people criticise, we will sack them ... apart from adopting a culture of apple-polishing leaders that eventually led to us collapsing.

"So, take all that as a lesson because out there there are seven million young voters who are waiting to be registered as 18 -year-old voters," he said.

Annuar added that the people want to see a party that is pure in its struggle, has a future and is clean, led by leaders with integrity.

However, he said, if UMNO repeats past mistakes in GE14 and was not in line with the people's wishes, he believes the party will be rejected by the people.

"If UMNO falls again, maybe UMNO will not rise again," he added.