TAMPARULI: Umno members have been reminded not to be big-headed but instead work hard to prepare for the 13th general election.
Sabah Umno treasurer Datuk Hajiji Noor, in making the call, said Barisan Nasional may have made a clean sweep of the last general election but members must not be complacent.
“The Prime Minister and Umno President, Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak, said during the party’s 65th anniversary that members must ‘sound the siren, beat the war drums and heat up the engines’.
“All Umno members should help make BN win the next general election to make Umno still relevant to Malaysians,” he said.
Speaking when launching the joint opening of the annual general meetings (AGMs) of Umno Tuaran division’s youth, women and puteri movements at the Tun Hamdan Hall here, Hajiji expressed the confidence that members of the three movements will help the party to win the battle.
He said the three movements are akin to the three pillars of a four-pillared house, the fourth pillar being Umno itself, adding it was important to take heed of the call made by Najib to intensify efforts in preparing the party for the coming general elections.
“In this context, the AGM is very important as it may be the last before the election. I therefore urge you to ‘turun padang’ (go down to the ground) and meet the people more often and try to solve their problems,” he said.
The Local Government and Housing Minister also reminded the members of Najib’s statement that past deeds will just remain as history if they fail in the big test.
“Apart from working hard by going to the ground, Umno members must also foster unity among themselves as well as with members of other BN component parties.
“We all know the consequences if we are not united when facing the enemy,” he stressed.
Hajiji, who is also Sulaman assemblyman, said it was also important that Umno members explain to the people the various government policies and programmes, especially the Prime Minister’s 1Malaysia Concept and the Chief Minister Datuk Seri Musa Aman’s Halatuju (agenda) programme to make Sabah a more progressive state.
He also advised party members to adopt Najib’s ‘Value Management’ approach, which he delivered to the civil servants recently.
“This ‘Value Management’ approach can also be adopted in our daily lives as Umno members.
“For example, we must ask ourselves on whether we have the correct work culture, the right political culture and the right attitude?” he said, adding that party members should not be static in their thinking but able to adjust according to changing times and needs.
He reiterated Umno Tuaran’s support for Najib as party president and Musa as the state Umno liason chief.
Meanwhile, Hajiji, who is also the Sabah Umno’s membership bureau chairman, urged members of the three movements to double their efforts to register new members and voters.