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Saturday, November 22, 2008, 05.42 PM

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Umno to study why voters turned their backs on BN

Ridzwan Abdullah
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Umno deputy president Datuk Seri Najib Razak said the party would come up with a detailed post-mortem on the loss to Parti Keadilan Rakyat adviser Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.

Najib was asked to comment on former prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad's predictable laying of blame for the defeat on the party leadership.

Dr Mahathir, who quit Umno in May, said the voters had rejected BN candidate Datuk Arif Shah Omar Shah, not because they wanted Anwar, but because they were unhappy with Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi's leadership.

Najib acknowledged the backlash over the loss but reserved comment until the post-mortem's completion.

"There are too many conclusions and views coming forth now."

"But we (Umno) will conduct a detailed study to evaluate voter trends and the reasons behind their choice," he said after the launch of national-level "Wakaf Al-Quran dan Salam Ramadan" programme at the Federal Territory Mosque here yesterday.

Anwar won with an increased majority when he polled 31,195 votes compared with 15,524 for Arif Shah, while a third candidate, Hanafi Mamat from Angkatan Keadilan Insan Malaysia, secured 92 votes.

On Anwar as the new opposition leader, Najib expressed the hope that the former deputy prime minister would contribute to the democratic process.

He said the government also hoped Anwar would play a more beneficial role in its nation-building plans.

Anwar, 61, was sworn in as Permatang Pauh MP in Parliament and appointed opposition leader yesterday.

Earlier, in his speech, Najib who is deputy prime minister, said the wakaf institution or concept must be safeguarded to ensure it continued to play a major role in the religious, social and economic lives of Muslims.

Wakaf denotes the permanent dedication by a Muslim of any property for any purpose recognised by Islamic law as religious, pious, or charitable.

"Islamic civilisations over time have also proved the wakaf's capacity as a strong institution and an economic booster for a nation."

He said the government would ensure the country's Islamic administration continued to be run efficiently.