Umno suffered another defeat yesterday, says Isham
SHAH ALAM - Umno Supreme Working Council member Isham Jalil revolves around addressing the Democratic Action Party (DAP) collaboration issue, improving grassroots engagement, seeking justice for Datuk Seri Najib Razak and taking bold actions to reverse the party's current downward trajectory.
He said Umno experienced a significant setback in the latest election, securing only 19 out of 108 seats, with victories in Kelantan, Penang, Selangor, and Negeri Sembilan totaling 19 seats, while losing in the remaining 89 constituencies.
"We need to take action, if not, Umno will continue to lose and will fade away leading to 16th General Election (GE16).
"My grassroots and I have put in our utmost effort. Now, the leadership needs to reconsider and make decisions," Isham said in his Facebook statement today.
During his extensive campaign across all six states, he engaged with the grassroots who consistently raised concerns about three main issues: DAP, the President, and Najib.
Of these, the DAP issue is particularly sensitive for our grassroots; enforcing their vote for DAP might lead to resistance, potential voter apathy, or even protest and support for Perikatan Nasional (PN), which has been observed in these six states.
Furthermore, in Selangor, PN candidates garnered more votes than under the previous People's Justice Party (PKR) ticket, signifying support not only from former PKR backers but also from Umno supporters, posing a significant challenge for Umno.
"We must address the DAP issue, deciding whether to continue collaboration in both government and elections or solely in government.
"The latter option could help rebuild our party while preserving our values, though we might initially face losses.
"However, it would allow us to keep our grassroots and gradually regain public support.
"Failing to act risks losing grassroots to other parties and our party's demise.
"Pursuing a small gain with DAP could lead to a substantial loss in Malay votes and grassroots support, endangering our party's survival. This is unwise and risky."
Concerning the inquiry on President from grassroots, Isham addressed it in his dialogue sessions to the best of his ability, respecting the institution while acknowledging he is not the President.
He appeal to the esteemed President to engage directly with grassroots, fostering dialogue to clarify uncertainties and enhance the situation.
On Najib, he emphasised that his (Najib) participation in campaign could enhance the prospects.
"I have proposed that the government allow house arrest for Najib while he undergoes processes like clemency or a retrial or something similar.
"I hope we see and strive to correct the situation.
"We need to do something drastic, as we are currently in a bitter and critical state.
"If we don't take action, Umno and our struggle will disappear from the planet. We need to rise," he said.
