Nenggiri win a turning point for Umno, says Johari in final speech, hopes for brighter future
Addressing the Umno General Assembly 2024, he conveyed his optimism and a caution against complacency triggered by the electoral win.
KUALA LUMPUR - In a pivotal moment for Umno, Vice President Datuk Seri Johari Abdul Ghani declared the party's recent Nenggiri by-election victory a significant turning point, heralding a new phase for the party.
Addressing the Umno General Assembly 2024, he conveyed his optimism and a caution against complacency triggered by the electoral win.
"I want to share in the joy because we see a new light after the Nenggiri by-election victory, which gives us motivation and signals strength so that we don't become complacent," he said.
He highlighted that the statistics and results over the past few years demonstrated the need for the party to remain dynamic and implement significant changes in its political strategy.
Johari said that the party's focus should not be limited to traditional Umno strongholds while admitting that Umno has faced criticism and electoral losses in certain areas, even becoming the opposition in some.
"Umno was criticised before, and we lost three times.
"We've become the opposition in those areas," he said, reflecting on the party's setbacks.
Johari also pointed to the socioeconomic challenges faced by the Malay community, particularly the high unemployment rate among Bumiputera youth.
He cited data from the 14th General Election (GE14), which revealed that around 635,000 unemployed in the country, 61.5 per cent were Bumiputera, with 274,000 of them being 30 years old and below.
Johari stressed that reversing these trends requires not only political strength but also a concentrated effort to regain the trust of the Malay community.
"It's not easy to turn this around, but what we need to do is figure out how the Malay community can trust us again," he added.
Johari further said that the Nenggiri by-election win should be seen as the starting point for broader changes within Umno and a renewed commitment to addressing the pressing issues facing the nation.
"We must change this trend in the coming years, but it all starts with Nenggiri to reverse all this," he said, expressing hope for a revitalised party and a more prosperous future for Malaysia.
