UMNO, reeling from its 15th General Election (GE15) defeat with only 26 seats, faces a pivotal moment as veteran leader Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah urges major reforms to restore public trust and political dominance before the next election.

In an interview with Sinar, the veteran who is commonly known as Ku Li, emphasised the importance of inclusivity and forgiveness.

“Umno needs to show generosity and reduce the suspension penalties for those who were expelled, such as Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein, Khairy Jamaluddin and Shahril Sufian Hamdan.

“This move is vital if Barisan Nasional (BN) and Umno aim to once again become the backbone of the Federal Government in Putrajaya after GE16,” he said.

Ku Li remains optimistic about Umno’s ability to recover, citing its historical dominance.

He mentioned that Umno had previously been dominant, holding the majority of 150 parliamentary seats with over 60 per cent Malay voters.

If Umno wants to regain power, he stressed that the party must win more than 80 of the 150 seats with a Malay majority exceeding 60 per cent.

“However, Umno cannot move forward alone without MCA and MIC, as we need support from other ethnic groups to reclaim power in Malaysia.

“Therefore, Umno must do something to win back the youth who are now aligned with Perikatan Nasional (PN), as many are dissatisfied with the policies and decisions made by the Madani Government.

“Many young people are also unhappy, disappointed and frustrated with Umno leaders at the divisional, state and central levels, who appear inactive in advocating for their welfare,” he said.

To strengthen the party’s foundation, Ku Li proposed verifying Umno’s membership numbers, which some claimed exceed three million.

He proposed that Umno launched a special fund where every member was required to contribute RM10 per month or RM120 annually to raise funds to help the party face GE16.

“If we have three million members, we should be able to raise at least RM360 million annually. Over two years, we could amass more than RM720 million.

“If we fail to reach this amount, it means the actual number of loyal Umno members is far fewer than the three million claimed by some leaders. This suggests many Umno members may no longer be active, have lost their positions or have migrated to other parties,” he added.

Ku Li also remained hopeful that Umno could regain seats lost to Bersatu in GE15, pointing out that many were won with the help of Pas machinery and dissatisfied Umno supporters.

He claimed that most voters did not choose Perikatan Nasional (PN) because they loved it; they were disillusioned with Umno due to internal issues like corruption and mismanagement.

“Umno’s defeats in GE14 and GE15 were not solely because people hated Najib (former Umno president Datuk Seri Najib Razak). Other problems contributed as well, such as the sentiment following the dismissal of Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin as Deputy Prime Minister and Umno Deputy President.

“Additionally, the dismissal and suspension of certain Umno leaders before and after GE15 eroded trust among supporters and the public towards Umno to this day.

“Leaders like former Umno vice president Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein, former Umno youth chief Khairy Jamaluddin and former Umno information chief Shahril Sufian Hamdan were among those expelled or suspended.

“In my opinion, these leaders have their own influence and supporters, both among the public and Umno members,” he said.

Ku Li also called for Umno to expedite its internal elections to energise members and ensure readiness for GE16.

He stressed that this move would motivate and uplift the fighting spirit of party members.

Addressing internal unity, he stressed the importance of teamwork over individual influence.

“Umno’s strength lies in camaraderie and collaboration. The recent success in reclaiming the Nenggiri state assembly seat was due to collective effort, not just individual leadership.

“This demonstrates that Umno cannot rise and gain public support if it relies only on certain individuals,” he said.

Looking ahead, Ku Li believes the so-called ‘Green Wave’ that boosted PN during GE15 may not persist in GE16.