An Umno leader has warned that BN may suffer an even bigger defeat in Penang because of Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak's appointment of leaders who were routed in the last general election.
"I don't understand the Umno president's attitude, people who were defeated are appointed, even as the Penang Umno liaison chief.
"This is Najib's weakness. Even BN state chief Teng Chang Yeow was defeated twice (in the general elections). Don't we have other leaders?" Batu Kawan Umno division deputy chief Khairuddin Abu Hassan told Malaysiakini in an interview.
Khairuddin, who hails from Bukit Mertajam, also took aim at Penang Umno chief Zainal Abidin Osman, who also lost in the last general election, calling for him to step down.
"In the state level leadership, many are still sleeping. Which is why I said Penang Umno liaison chief Zainal Abidin must be replaced.
"He is not proactive and does not go down to the grassroots to meet the people," he lamented.
The Umno chief in Penang, he said, must be appointed from among victors in order to command respect.
"If we appoint someone who was defeated in the general election as the Penang Umno liaison chief, what would other leaders say?
"He lost, so why should we listen to him?" Khairuddin added.
‘Don’t even dream about Chinese votes’
Khairuddin rose to prominence last week after defying his party and lodging a police report on the controversial sovereign wealth fund 1Malaysia Development Bhd (1MDB), which is wholly owned by the Finance Ministry and helmed by Najib.
He decried that there was no concrete effort by Umno to work the ground, unlike what the opposition is doing.
"Even when many members quit PKR, there was no initiative to bring them into Umno," he said.
On Chinese voters in the Penang, Khairuddin said BN should not even "dream about them", saying that winning their votes was virtually "impossible".
"Chinese voters now are quite emotional and not so rational. At the grassroots (level), Umno has done all kinds of things - we invited them, we met with them, but we can see that their doors are still closed to Umno and BN," he said.
However, Khairuddin said, regardless of their rejection of the party, Umno must still work the ground.
"A week after the general election, the (federal) opposition already hit the villages to meet the rakyat. That is the opposition's strength.
"Even though they lie, promise the impossible and cheat the rakyat, but because they are hardworking at the grassroots level and meet the rakyat every day, they are accepted by the people," he said.
Penang Umno, which has distanced itself from Kharuddin's police report last week, said it may take disciplinary action against the errant party leader. - M'kini
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