"Thank you for leaving UMNO because we too don't want wolves in sheep's clothing because these kind of people will only become a thorn in one's flesh."

This was the reaction by UMNO Information chief Tan Sri Annuar Musa when asked to comment on Gelang Patah UMNO permanent chairman Datuk Baharom Abdul Ghani and Kulai UMNO deputy division chief Datuk Tosrin Jarvanti quitting UMNO on Saturday.

He said such actions would not affect UMNO but instead strengthen the party because disloyal members had left one by one.

"There are people asking whether UMNO is panicking because of those leaving the party, I say no. In fact, we thank them because we want more people who find that UMNO is not their cup of tea to leave.

"But we will never ever push the panic button because when one leaves, 30 new people join in...we are talking about them leaving (the party) for the past one month whereas tens of thousands others have registered to join UMNO," he said.

He said told this to reporters opening the Temerloh UMNO division delegates meeting here on Sunday. Also present was the division chief Datuk Seri Mohd Sharkar Shamsudin.

On Saturday, the two UMNO veterans announced their departure while attending UMNO delegates meeting at their respective divisions.

Meanwhile, Annuar also said all UMNO members need to have the "winning mentality" so that they would not become weak or feel "trapped" on any issue raised by their political enemies.

"This is needed as those out there have been coming up with strategies to make UMNO weak by raising doubts on half truth issues.

"If UMNO members don't have such perserverance in dealing with these attacks, most likely many of us will feel weak and stressed out," he said.