UMNO Vice-President Johari Ghani has urged party leaders and members to close ranks and work towards regaining lost seats in the recent 15th general election.

In a recent interview with Utusan Malaysia, Johari stated that infighting within the party leadership had contributed to Umno’s poor showing, and that the party could not afford to remain divided. He called on members to respect the decision of the Supreme Council and to cease all infighting, so that the party could work towards winning back public support and regaining lost seats.

Umno Losing To Smaller Parties

Johari emphasized that the party belongs to all its 3.5 million members, not just its leaders. He also pointed out that it was “illogical” for a party of this size to lose seats to smaller parties, and attributed the poor showing to internal conflicts within the party. When leaders are attacked, their supporters become demoralized, he said, which in turn affects the party as a whole. He called on Umno to resolve any unhappiness in the Supreme Council or at the party’s political bureau, and to stay united and look after each other.

Johari is one of the three newly-elected vice presidents of Umno, along with Wan Rosdy Wan Ismail and Mohamed Khaled Nordin. He stated that he will work to strengthen Umno’s unity and earn the trust of the people as one of the party’s leaders. He also urged party members to put aside their egos and combine their strengths in order to succeed.

Umno Should Drop Najib

Umno is a nationalist right-wing political party in Malaysia that has been the dominant force in Malaysian politics since independence in 1957 until its defeat in the 2018 general election. The party has been facing internal divisions and conflicts over its direction and leadership, especially after its former president and prime minister Najib Razak was convicted and sentenced to 12 years in jail for corruption and abuse of power in relation to the 1MDB scandal.

It has also been involved in several political coalitions and alliances with other parties, but none of them have been stable or lasting due to disagreements and distrust among the partners.

Johari’s call for unity and cooperation within Umno comes at a time when the party is facing significant challenges and uncertainties. As a former Minister of Finance II who served under Najib from 2016 to 2018, Johari brings considerable experience and expertise to the table. His efforts to strengthen Umno’s unity and regain lost ground in the political arena will be closely watched in the coming months.

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