“We only want those who will die with the party,” he said last night at a private dinner gathering with supporters at a restaurant in Kuala Lumpur.
He said some Umno members holding positions would go so far as to trample on the party flag once the party lost power.
Some were loud to proclaim loyalty to the leadership, but such loyalty only lasted with power. Umno’s loss of power in the May general election was partly due to Umno members having lost sight of their principles and the party’s values, he said.
Some were only concerned about how they could profit from their positions, they gave more thought to their factions, so much so they were willing to betray the party if they could not get what they wanted, Sinar Harian reported him as saying.
As such only those with positions acted, so it was not surprising that Umno was attacked by its political opponents as a party that had lost its traditional values, he said.
He urged Umno members to renew the party through self-reflection, through change within themselves. Only then would there be light at the end of the tunnel, he said.
Last night’s function was held by Persatuan kebajikan Insan Mulia and the Wanita Umno branch in Pulau Ketam. Najib was accompanied by his wife and children.