JOHOR BAHARU: Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak is confident that Johor will remain Umno and Barisan Nasional’s (BN) stronghold the way it has always been.
Despite this, the Ummo president said, there should be a continuous effort to strengthen unity among its members and leaders.
“I’m confident that we will continue to win in Johor but such success should be followed up with efforts to strengthen unity and loyalty among party members.
“Let there be no unpleasant stories,” he said when opening the Pulai Umno division meeting and the Tan Sri Mohamed Rahmat Complex here yeterday.
He said Johor had been an Umno stronghold ever since the era of its founder Datuk Onn Jaafar and said that the party should sustain its strength at all times.
He also called on Johor Umno leaders and members ‘to take care of Johor’ and ensure the state remained the stronghold of Umno and BN despite attempts by the opposition to gain a foothold in the state.
He said that opposition parties were eyeing Johor because they knew that Umno and BN were strong in the state. Najib also called on party members to practise good teamwork.
Using the World Cup as an analogy, Najib said teamwork was important to ensure victories and that the lack of it could cause confusion and might result in players scoring own goals.
The prime minister also reminded Umno leaders not to get excited over the support they received from party members or branch chiefs in their divisions.
He said that such support would be of little meaning if a majority of the community in their areas were dissatisfied with their service.
Umno leaders and members should “listen to the heartbeat of the people” and give their best in solving their problems, he said.
Najib also said that there were no other parties capable of taking over the role of Umno in ensuring the survival of the Malays.
“There are no alternatives to Umno,” the prime minister said, adding that as the backbone of the BN coalition, Umno should also understand the aspirations of other communities. — Bernama