UMNO should deliver information efficiently - Annuar Musa

UMNO leaders and members should disseminate information to the people efficiently to continue highlighting all the good deeds that have been done by the government.

Party information chief Tan Sri Annuar Musa said UMNO and Barisan Nasional (BN) had proven their ability to govern and bring progress to the country, but all the contributions seemed to have been forgotten due to the organised slanders hurled by unscrupulous parties.

"UMNO members have to work hard. Why do we (UMNO) need to hide hundreds of good things that have been done by the party? We have to shout about and explain it. Do not blame the people if we do not know how to explain it.

"People are smart. They want to hear (explanation), but if we do not give enough information, we cannot blame the people, we have to blame ourselves," he told reporters after a meeting with information chiefs of UMNO divisions and wings at the Terengganu UMNO Liaison office, here today.

When asked how UMNO information team would solve the delivery of information problem? Annuar said "The dissemination of information is something dynamic, depending on the changing time.

"Now technology has expanded and people begin to speak with only 'one finger' (information at your fingertips). The momentum has been different...we have been late in making use of technology and the new media.

"That's why we need to make a correction. There are plans that have been and are being made but all of them are not enough and must be improved," he said.

Apart from the use of technology, Annuar said he was still emphasising on reaching decisions by consensus among the members and the leadership and looking at every criticism received in a positive manner.

He viewed criticism as a 'wake-up call' for the party to continue to work and provide better explanation to the people.

"UMNO can improve its performance in convincing the people regardless of whatever accusations hurled," he said.

Annuar, who is also the Majlis Amanah Rakyat (MARA) chairman said the opposition was often exaggerating small issues to discredit the government and for their political agenda.

"Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) recorded a video of a student from Universiti Kuala Lumpur who did not receive MARA scholarship, making it go viral for the people to think that MARA scholarship has been frozen.

"People are angry and assume that MARA has lost its money for purchasing properties in Australia. It is just a perception, just because of one person, they forgot that actually MARA had spent RM2 billion to fund 75,000 Bumiputera students," he said.