KUALA LUMPUR: Last year, the mood at Putra World Trade Centre during the Umno general assembly was sombre, dismal even.
The party, after all, was still reeling from its monumental defeat in the 14th General Election.
After 61 years of ruling the country, the Umno-led Barisan Nasional crumbled to Pakatan Harapan led by its former president, Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad.
The gloom among the thousands of delegates and supporters was palpable. Not only was the defeat a painful sting, Umno also had to suffer the indignity of defections by its leaders, including members of parliament and state representatives.
Compounding the situation was the exodus of component parties, such as Gerakan and Sarawak-based political parties (which formed Gabungan Parti Sarawak), to distance themselves from BN and Umno.
The mood, however, was markedly different this year.
Despite the absence of the usual hordes of chartered buses, Umno delegates and supporters appeared to be in better spirits.
This can be attributed to BN’s massive win in the Tanjung Piai by-election, where Datuk Seri Wee Jeck Seng of MCA obtained a 15,086-vote majority.
Many Umno leaders believe that BN’s victory in Tanjung Piai was the result of its “Muafakat Nasional” political cooperation with Pas, which was inked in September.
However, despite the expected celebratory speeches, it appeared that Umno has chosen to take a hard look at itself and be brutally honest about its situation.
At a forum in conjunction with the assembly, party secretary-general Tan Sri Annuar Musa made it clear when he said Umno needed to stop living in denial over what led to its downfall.
The Ketereh member of parliament did not mince his words, chiding certain leaders who had deviated from the party struggles and were only trying to reap benefits instead of serving people.
Umno deputy president Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan was more diplomatic, saying Umno needed to create a new narrative and formulate a “new deal” instead of banking on the possibility of PH’s failure.
This new deal, said Mohamad, must move towards strengthening the political position as well as improving the socio-economic wellbeing and development of the Malays, plus respecting the interests of other races.
However, political analyst Associate Professor Dr Mohd Azizuddin Mohd Sani believed that Umno needed more than a “new deal” to win back voters.
“Apart from its content, Umno needs to prove that the party can deliver the new deal and that it isn’t just empty promises.
“Offering a new deal is not enough. Umno must also convince the people that the party is clean from leaders deemed corrupt, which is one of the many reasons why the party was rejected in GE14.”