UMNO'S struggle must adapt to current reality - Annuar Musa

The idealism of UMNO's struggle should be adapted to the current reality for the party to be relevant to the younger generation, said UMNO information chief Tan Sri Annuar Musa.

He said in contrast to the past, the younger generation of today was more inclined to talk about issues such as the cost of living, employment opportunities and home ownership.

"In the past, talks about politics (among the younger generation) revolved around (party) idealism, that was, to fight for the interest of the Malays.

"Young people today have become more apolitical and are not much putting themselves in political affairs," he told Bernama ahead of the 2016 UMNO General Assembly scheduled for Nov 29 to Dec 3.

However, he said, it was important for the spirit of the party's struggle to remain in every UMNO member's heart so that they would not be easily influenced by the multitude of unverified and false information.

If not, he said, it would be difficult for a person to understand the party's relevance and what it had been championing all this while.

He cited Majlis Amanah Rakyat (Mara) which provided scholarships to Bumiputera students but many people were not aware of the struggle towards the establishment of the institution.

"They do not know its connection with political power. The reason is that since independence until now, we (UMNO) have never lost power," said Annuar, who is also Mara chairman and UMNO Supreme Council member.

He said despite being a Malay-based political party, UMNO was not only meant to protect the interest of the Malays but also to safeguard the interest of other races.

As such, he hoped the UMNO leadership could continuously play a role in injecting the spirit of the party's struggle into the hearts of all its members to ensure it remains relevant in today's increasingly challenging environment.

-- BERNAMA