BERA: Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob has urged Umno to shift its focus from past glories to addressing the current reality, as the party continues to lose support among Malays.
Speaking at the 2024 Umno Bera Division Delegates Meeting held at the Bera District Rakan Muda Complex, the Bera Umno division chief pointed out that recent state elections across six states demonstrated that only 20 per cent of Malays still backed Umno.
"Umno can no longer afford to bask in past achievements while the present shows a clear distancing of the Malay community from the party.
"The revival of our strength lies in the hands of grassroots members at the division and branch levels, who must actively engage with the local community, especially the youth," said the former prime minister.
Emphasising the importance of attracting core Malay voters, particularly the hard-to-reach 18-year-olds, he said: "These young voters are highly dependent on social media, and it is crucial for the party's machinery to fully dominate these platforms."
Ismail Sabri also stressed on the foundational strength of Umno, which resides in its divisions and branches due to their close ties with surrounding communities.
