KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 24 — Veteran MP Tan Sri Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah has urged his party Umno today to give younger leaders more responsibilities, in order for the Malay nationalist party to regain its previous political clout in the country.
In an interview with the National Professor Council that was streamed live on its Facebook page, the 83-year-old Gua Musang MP said that the party must also reset and change their agenda if it wishes to regain its previous strength.
“I feel like the majority of people want to see Umno back in power, but Umno must reset and change their agenda. What’s important is that the younger generation should be given more roles to play, more than what was given back in the day,” he said.
He also claimed that Malay voters will be disappointed if Umno is not in power, and that the country will always be restless because of that.
“Umno must gain back power. If they don’t get back power, they will not be able to reset things done by Umno before.
“I feel like the Malays will feel disappointed if Umno is not in power. And if the majority is not happy, the country will not be at peace,” he said.
He continued that Umno would also need to change the way it does its business and deals to avoid falling even further down a hole.
“And the way we structure our businesses in the future must be completely reorganised. We cannot afford business done laissez-faire, no more first come first serve.
“We cannot do that anymore or we will end up with bigger problems,” he said.
Ku Li’s call for more younger representation in politics comes amid his own resurgence in politics.
On December 14, Ku Li and former prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad offered their expertise and experience in public service to the possible new government if the Perikatan Nasional government fell during the third reading of Budget 2021.
Both Ku Li and Mahathir lambasted the current political instability, which they claimed could have been resolved by forming a “good government” that prioritises the needs of the public first.