KUALA LUMPUR: Umno will undergo an organisational restructuring following the election on new office bearers and its recent national polls results.
New party president Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said among others, he would review the party's charter and its regulations.
"We know that Umno, when it was first incepted in 1946, is 'Umno 1.0'.
"When the party was split in 1987, it became Umno 2.0.
"Now, with the party suffering from a horrific defeat at the recent polls, it is only right for Umno move forward into restructuring its organisation and a rebranding as 'Umno 3.0'," Zahid said in his first media conference as Umno president today.
He said the same should be applied for Barisan Nasional, which should be reinvented as "BN 3.0".
"When the Alliance was formed in 1952, we can say that it was BN 1.0. When BN was formed to replace the Alliance, it had actually become BN 2.0. It is not impossible, for Umno to see the formation of BN 3.0 after talks with our partners MCA and MIC.
"We need to be grounded on reality based on the existence of various races, religions and languages that will help form the rebranding. Umno will remain as its (BN 3.0) backbone."
At the same time, Zahid said he would look into suitable positions for former youth chief Khairy Jamaluddin and party veteran Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah in Umno.
Both Khairy and Tengku Razaleigh had contested the president's post and lost.
Former Negri Sembilan menteri besar Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan is the new deputy president.
"I have looked into the ongoing changes in the party. Each party president candidate had outlined pledges (to restructure the party). I have made 15 pledges for the party, Khairy made eight and Tengku Razaleigh had seven.
"All of the pledges made will be scrutinised by me and my deputy.
" There will also be several major overhauls (in the party structure). This involves the review of roles among officers in the supreme council, and other positions concerning their suitability.
" I will also look into the (possible) roles (that can be given to) both presidential candidates (Khairy and Tengku Razaleigh). I have made a promise to have them with me in charting the party's rejuvenation and direction in line the with calls made by the two," he said.
Zahid added that the positions of state liaison chiefs would be tailored to adapt to the current political landscape and all three party wing chiefs have been told to hold programmes designed to win the people's support.
"It is part of a plan to create a synchronisation of activities, so that there will be no difference between the approaches applied by the main party and its wings."
Reports by Anwar Patho Rahman, Rohaniza Idris and Syed Umar Ariff
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