The senior statesman said Umno still has a key role to play, despite winning a mere 26 parliamentary seats in the 2022 general election (GE15) — the party’s worst electoral performance to date.
However, Tengku Razaleigh said Umno must first purge itself of “self-serving leaders” to regain its pre-eminent position in Malaysian politics.
The former 11-term Gua Musang MP said politicians who placed personal interests above Umno’s should be removed, as their priorities did not align with the nation’s future or the well-being of future generations.
He said the Barisan Nasional lynchpin could only reclaim its relevance through strong leadership rooted in fairness and responsibility.
“Umno is the key to (the country’s) stability. If Umno is not back in power with a proper leader, then I think we’re going to have this instability continuing.
“And it’s not good for the people of the country,” the affable 88-year-old told FMT in a candid interview.
Tengku Razaleigh said Umno has always played a central role in mapping out the country’s future, dating back to the struggle for Malaya’s independence.
Although it lost federal power in 2018, it returned to become a part of the government in 2020 and remains a key party in the unity government now, despite not holding the top post.
“It is incorrect to suggest that Umno is dwindling and fading away. Umno is still the biggest party (in terms of membership) except it didn’t win as many seats in Parliament as it used to.
“Umno’s decline was due to infighting and splinter groups,” said Tengku Razaleigh, referring to the formation of Bersatu by former Umno leaders Dr Mahathir Mohamad and Muhyiddin Yassin in the wake of the 1MDB scandal.
While GE15 resulted in a hung Parliament, Umno-led BN’s 30 seats made it a key backer of Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim’s administration.
Critics had questioned the unity government’s cohesion and sustainability, especially Umno’s partnership with long-time rival DAP, amid threats to Anwar’s administration early on.
Tengku Razaleigh said Umno’s upcoming annual general assembly in November will be crucial in shaping the party’s direction.
With the assembly already delayed from August to November in view of the looming Sabah state election, the former Umno veep warned against a further postponement.
“I hope it’s not postponed further because the (party’s) constitution doesn’t allow that. If you have a deadline, you should stick to it and let the members decide the future of the party. Because that is going to mark the direction the country is going to move in.
“If (Umno is) not sure of its future, how can it be sure of the future of the country?”