In his latest blog entry, the controversial Umno leader said Malays were no longer interested in the political games played by the Opposition of whom, he claimed, cared only about obtaining power rather than championing the interests of the people.

He said the Opposition’s attempt to gain public support by manipulating issues close to the people’s heart would not succeed in steering the Malays away from Umno, simply because they had always known Umno was there to look after their rights.

He said, however, that in order to guarantee the party’s continued success, Umno could not afford to be complacent but had to work hard to counter the negative perceptions about the party that the Opposition had hyped up.

Warning of possible undesirable effects should the ruling party make light of issues raised by its opponents, Syed Ali said Umno should take advantage of all available social platforms to garner the support of the youth.

“The Opposition’s machinery is targeting the younger generation, spoon-feeding them with information that is mainly based on lies.

“Party leaders should not bask in joy to the point that they abandon their responsibilities,” he wrote about Umno leaders.

Syed Ali also advised Umno Supreme members to go down to the ground and address the concerns of the people, cautioning them that they were being closely monitored by those at the grassroots level.

“We have to meet the people, especially the ones in our target group, as they are not often exposed to the truth. They have only been provided with information coming from the Opposition.

“It is no longer relevant for them (Umno leaders) to merely hold dialogues and seminars in air-conditioned rooms while the public is neglected.”

He noted that in previous general elections, voters from the rural areas were the ones who provided unconditional support to Umno.