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Umno launches programme to claw back lost ground, 9 January 2010
Prime Minister Najib Razak today launched the 'Juara Rakyat' (Champion of the People) programme which, according to him, is to show the people that Umno has received their signals that it needs to get back to the people after being rejected in the 12th general election.
"We chose Juara Rakyat as our theme because Umno and its partners in the BN have accepted the results of the last general election with humility, where the people have given their signals to Umno and the BN.
"We listen and acknowledge that the people have issued a warning to Umno and the BN, we appreciate the warning and we will not only listen but also remember that in a parliamentary democracy, the power lies with the people who have the final say," he said.
The programme was launched in a jovial atmosphere with more than 20,000 people of all ages and races flocking to the venue at Bandar Bukit Sentosa, near Rawang.
Learn from LDP downfall
Najib, who is also Umno president, said Umno and BN leaders should not be complacent, they should instead continue to struggle for the benefit of the people because the fate of the BN entirely depended on the wishes of the people.
"We must show that our party is the champion of the people and that party leaders at all levels are making all efforts to meet the aspiration of the people in the country.
"As such, we must strive to show that our party always appreciates the sentiments of the people through the various efforts that we make," he said.
Sharing an incident during his meeting with the new prime minister of Japan, Yukio Hatoyama, Najib said Umno and the BN should learn from the downfall of the famous Japanese party, the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP).
"I asked Mr Hatoyama how his party had succeeded in defeating the LDP, and his brief reply was that the LDP was no longer close to the people, they could no longer feel the pulse of the people, and did not understand the wishes and aspirations of the people.
"When Hatoyama told me the answer, it still lingers in my mind until today," he said, expressing the hope that all BN component parties would give strong commitment to serve the people.
Najib said although Umno was already 63 years old, party members should still remain strong and be prepared to work hard.
Najib ticks off lobbyists
The Umno president also took a swipe at those who liked to lobby for position, saying that they should focus efforts on helping the people instead of playing politics to secure for better position.
"There are also people who lobby to the extent that they are at the airport even at 2am (to greet the leaders)... I have been in politics for a long time, I know (what they want) just by shaking their hand," he said.
Meanwhile at the press conference later, Najib said the 'Juara Rakyat' programme would be implemented in all Umno divisions throughout the country every month according to their own theme.
This was one way of ensuring that the party would get closer to the people and was always sensitive to the problems of the people at the grassroot level, he said.
Commenting on the 'Umno Pengkhianat Rakyat' (Umno, Betrayer of the People) programme carried out by PAS, Najib described the campaign as a negative tactic.
"It's their style of campaigning, we don't campaign in a negative manner. But we want to be gauged based on our track record at all times," he added.
Bernama
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