KUALA KUBU BARU: All Umno members have been urged to accept that there are differences with other component parties in the unity government and move on.
Umno president Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said the party must learn that while the party only won 26 parliamentary seats in the 15th General Election (GE15), it was still given the trust to become part of the unity government and had seven ministerial positions.
He also said Umno members must work for the good of the government and defend it at both state and federal levels.
"I always remind myself that achieving success is difficult, but maintaining it is even more difficult. We experienced being the opposition for 22 months, but being (the opposition) is not in our DNA.
"Hence, this is why when we have become the government, we must defend it regardless of whether it is at state or federal level," he said at the opening of the Hulu Selangor Umno division meeting of branches and the division's Hari Raya event.
Present were Barisan Nasional secretary-general Datuk Seri Dr Zambry Abdul Kadir, Umno secretary-general Datuk Dr Asyraf Wajdi Dusuki and Umno supreme council member Tengku Datuk Zafrul Abdul Aziz.
Zahid, who is also deputy prime minister, said that differences in views and opinions among component parties in the unity government were normal.
The differences, however, should not be made an excuse to fight among each other as it is not the end of Umno's political career.
"Yes, we might now melukut di tepi gantang (not an important party now), but this is not the end of our political career and the world is not ending.
"We are being tested and we must reflect and engage in self-criticism. What has gone wrong with us, what have we done? Perhaps Allah SWT is testing us."
