A spring in Umno’s step: Three things we learnt from its 2026 general assembly

The recent Umno general assembly in Kuala Lumpur concluded with a notable sense of optimism, highlighted by strong performances in recent regional elections that bolstered delegate confidence.

The event was marked by a warm reception extended to PAS delegates, hinting at potential future cooperation despite historical tensions between the parties.

Discussions at the assembly emphasized Umno's ambition for a return to federal power, with leaders urging for an early general election and outlining strategic initiatives for a potential comeback.

Overall, Umno is navigating its current role within the Unity Government while preparing for a more prominent political positioning.

KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 12 — Umno’s annual general assembly ended yesterday with a sense of optimism rarely seen at the party’s recent assemblies, as delegates filled the World Trade Centre Kuala Lumpur with renewed enthusiasm for the party.

The four-day assembly was also notable for Umno’s warm welcome to PAS delegates, although some members remained wary of the latter’s history of political partnerships that eventually fell apart.

Here are three things we learnt from this year’s assembly.

1. Sky-high confidence among Umno delegates

The mood at the World Trade Centre here was noticeably different this year.

A week before the assembly began, Umno secretary-general Datuk Asyraf Wajdi Dusuki described it as a “Hari Raya Umno” for delegates, and the mood inside the venue did not disappoint.

Just outside the WTC entrance, buskers were seen performing Umno’s anthem, “Bersatu, Bersetia, Berkhidmat”, with delegates singing along as they went in and out of the building.

Delegates were constantly taking photographs and recording videos around the venue, with some cheering as they gathered in the main foyer.

When the debates began in Dewan Merdeka, many delegates gathered in front of the big screen at the main stage and listened intently.

The party’s membership counter was also consistently busy, with members queuing to collect their cards while others waited to register as new members.

The rows of shops around the venue were similarly lively, with delegates browsing and making purchases between sessions.

The mood was a far cry from some of Umno’s recent assemblies, which were held against the backdrop of electoral defeats, internal divisions and uncertainty over the party’s place in national politics.

Even the previous assembly, held in January this year, lacked the same sense of optimism and confidence.

This time, delegates arrived fresh from Umno and Barisan Nasional’s (BN) strong performances in Johor and Negeri Sembilan.

BN won 48 of the 56 seats in Johor, including 36 for Umno, while in Negeri Sembilan the coalition secured 18 of the 36 seats, with Umno winning all 16 seats it contested.

Those victories appear to have given the party something it has struggled to maintain since its defeat in the 2018 general election: confidence that it can win again.

2. PAS is being welcomed back, despite its history

Perhaps the most striking political development at this year’s assembly was the warm reception given to PAS delegates.

When the first PAS representatives arrived at the assembly on Wednesday night, they were greeted by Umno members, with deputy president Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan even asking three PAS Muslimat delegates: “Kayfa haluka?”, or “How are you?” in Arabic.

The gesture came after Umno leaders attended PAS’ annual muktamar the previous week, with Asyraf saying PAS’ top leadership had been invited to the Umno assembly as a reciprocal gesture.

For a party whose relationship with PAS has swung from cooperation to bitter rivalry and back again, the warmth was significant.

Umno leaders have also repeatedly made clear that they are open to cooperation with other Malay parties, but not at the expense of the party’s own interests or identity.

That message was echoed by Umno delegates, some of whom said the past should remain in the past, but PAS would have to show that it could be a different partner this time around.

There is good reason for that caution. Umno and PAS previously worked together under Muafakat Nasional before their relationship deteriorated, while PAS later became a key component of Perikatan Nasional and contested against Umno.

Some Umno delegates have also pointed to PAS’ previous political partnerships through Pakatan Rakyat and with Bersatu in Perikatan Nasional as reminders that political cooperation can be short-lived.

So while the door to PAS is clearly open again, Umno is making clear that any cooperation must be on mutually agreed terms, with neither side turning on the other when political circumstances change.

The underlying message from the assembly appears simple: if Umno and PAS are going to work together again, this time there should be no backstabbing.

The next test could come in Melaka, where Umno Youth chief Datuk Dr Muhamad Akmal Saleh has said his wing is ready to work with PAS, describing the state election as a test of whether “penyatuan ummah” can become an electoral strategy rather than remain merely an idea.

3. Umno is already eyeing a return to federal power

If there was one message that came through most strongly from the assembly, it was that Umno wants to be seen as more than just a component of the current Unity Government.

Zahid called for GE16 to be held “as soon as possible”, telling delegates that the election would be a defining moment for Umno and BN to regain the mandate to lead the country.

During the debate on the president’s policy speech, Kedah Umno delegate Datuk Shaiful Hazizy Zainol Abidin singled out several PH ministers, including Datuk Seri Fadhlina Sidek, Datuk Seri Fahmi Fadzil, Dr Mohammed Taufiq Johari and Nga Kor Ming, along with DAP as a whole, describing them as “illnesses”.

“What is the medicine for these illnesses? What is the medicine to save the country? The medicine is to return the mandate to the people. An election must be held immediately,” he said.

Zahid described Melaka as the next battleground for the coalition’s “blue wave” strategy.

He also laid out eight initiatives for BN to pursue should it return to Putrajaya after GE16.

Among them was Zahid’s pledge that state institutions would not be used as political tools if BN returned to power.

Former Umno Youth chief Khairy Jamaluddin later described the speech as sounding like that of a “PM in waiting”.

The message was also apparent in the party’s discussions about its position within the Unity Government.

Mohamad acknowledged that Umno had struggled to convince Malay voters to accept its cooperation with DAP, saying long-standing perceptions of DAP continued to shape how the partnership was viewed.

At the same time, he said Umno would remain “forever centrist”, while stressing the importance of Malay unity and the party’s Rumah Bangsa concept.

Taken together, the messages suggest that Umno is trying to position itself for the next phase of national politics: retaining its place in government for now, while increasingly talking about what it would do if voters return BN to power after GE16.

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最近在吉隆坡举行的巫统大会在一片乐观情绪中结束，近期地区选举的强劲表现提振了代表们的信心。

此次活动以对泛美运动党代表的热情接待为标志，暗示尽管双方之间存在历史紧张关系，但未来仍有可能开展合作。

大会上的讨论强调了巫统重返联邦执政的雄心，领导人敦促尽早举行大选，并概述了可能卷土重来的战略举措。

总体而言，巫统正在努力适应其在团结政府中的现有角色，同时也在为争取更重要的政治地位做准备。

吉隆坡，9月12日讯——巫统年度大会昨日闭幕，大会气氛乐观，这在巫统近期的大会中实属罕见。代表们挤满了吉隆坡世界贸易中心，对该党重燃热情。

为期四天的大会还因巫统对伊斯兰党代表的热情欢迎而引人注目，尽管一些成员仍然对后者最终破裂的政治伙伴关系的历史保持警惕。

以下是我们从今年的集会中学到的三件事。

1. 巫统代表信心爆棚

今年世界贸易中心的气氛明显不同。

在大会开始前一周，巫统秘书长拿督阿斯拉夫·瓦吉迪·杜苏基将其描述为代表们的“巫统开斋节”，而会场内的气氛也没有让人失望。

在世贸中心入口外，可以看到街头艺人在表演巫统的党歌《团结、团结、团结》，进出大楼的代表们也跟着一起唱。

与会代表们在会场周围不停地拍照和录像，聚集在主大厅时还有人欢呼。

辩论在独立大厅开始时，许多代表聚集在主舞台的大屏幕前，认真聆听。

该党的党员登记处也一直很忙，党员们排队领取党员证，而其他人则在等待登记成为新党员。

会场周围的商店也同样热闹非凡，代表们在会议间隙浏览和购物。

与巫统最近的一些大会相比，当时的气氛截然不同。巫统最近的一些大会是在选举失利、内部分裂以及该党在国家政治中的地位不确定等背景下召开的。

即使是今年1月举行的上一次大会，也缺乏同样的乐观和信心。

这次，代表们刚从巫统和国阵（BN）在柔佛和森美兰的强劲表现中抵达。

在柔佛州，国阵赢得了 56 个席位中的 48 个，其中巫统赢得了 36 个；而在森美兰州，国阵赢得了 36 个席位中的 18 个，巫统赢得了其参选的全部 16 个席位。

这些胜利似乎让该党重拾了自 2018 年大选失败以来一直努力保持的东西：再次赢得胜利的信心。

2. 尽管历史悠久，PAS 仍受到欢迎回归。

今年大会上最引人注目的政治进展或许是PAS代表受到了热烈欢迎。

周三晚上，当第一批伊斯兰党代表抵达大会时，他们受到了巫统成员的迎接，巫统副主席拿督斯里莫哈末哈山甚至用阿拉伯语问了三位伊斯兰党穆斯林代表：“Kayfa haluka?”，也就是“你们好吗？”

此前一周，巫统领导人出席了伊斯兰党的年度大会，阿什拉夫表示，作为回礼，伊斯兰党高层领导已受邀参加巫统大会。

对于一个与伊斯兰党关系曾从合作到激烈竞争再到合作的政党来说，这种热情意义重大。

巫统领导人也多次明确表示，他们愿意与其他马来政党合作，但不会以牺牲本党自身的利益或身份为代价。

巫统代表也表达了类似的观点，其中一些人表示，过去的事情应该留在过去，但伊斯兰党必须证明，这一次它可以成为一个不同的合作伙伴。

这种谨慎是有充分理由的。巫统和伊斯兰党此前曾在国民共识联盟（Muafakat Nasional）下合作，但后来关系恶化，伊斯兰党后来成为国民联盟（Perikatan Nasional）的关键组成部分，并与巫统展开竞争。

一些巫统代表还指出，伊斯兰党此前通过人民联盟和与土著团结党在国民联盟中的政治合作，提醒人们政治合作可能是短暂的。

因此，虽然伊斯兰党的大门显然再次敞开，但巫统明确表示，任何合作都必须在双方同意的条件下进行，任何一方都不会在政治形势发生变化时背弃另一方。

大会传递的潜在信息似乎很简单：如果巫统和伊斯兰党要再次合作，这一次就不应该再有背后捅刀子的行为。

下一个考验可能出现在马六甲，巫统青年团团长拿督穆罕默德·阿克马尔·萨利赫博士表示，他的组织已准备好与伊斯兰党合作，并将州选举描述为对“团结穆斯林”能否成为选举策略而不仅仅是一个理念的考验。

3. 巫统已在谋划重返联邦权力。

如果说此次大会传达出的最强烈的信息是什么，那就是巫统希望被视为不仅仅是当前团结政府的一个组成部分。

扎希德呼吁“尽快”举行第16届全国大选，并告诉代表们，这次选举将是巫统和国阵重新获得领导国家授权的决定性时刻。

在有关总统施政演说的辩论中，吉打州巫统代表拿督谢夫哈齐兹再诺阿比丁点名了几位希盟部长，包括拿督斯里法德丽娜西迪、拿督斯里法米法兹、穆罕默德陶菲克佐哈里博士和倪可明，以及整个行动党，称他们为“疾病”。

“这些弊病该如何治疗？拯救国家的良方是什么？良方就是将权力交还人民。必须立即举行选举，”他说道。

扎希德将马六甲描述为该联盟“蓝色浪潮”战略的下一个战场。

他还列出了国阵在第16届全国大选后重返布城时应采取的八项举措。

其中一项承诺是，如果国阵重新执政，国家机构不会被用作政治工具。

前巫统青年团团长凯里·贾马鲁丁后来形容该演讲听起来像是“候任首相”的讲话。

该信息在该党讨论其在联合政府中的地位时也显而易见。

莫哈末承认，巫统一直难以说服马来选民接受其与民主行动党的合作，并表示长期以来人们对民主行动党的看法继续影响着人们对这种合作关系的看法。

与此同时，他表示巫统将“永远保持中间立场”，并强调马来人团结的重要性以及该党的“民族之家”理念。

综合来看，这些信息表明巫统正试图为下一阶段的国家政治做好准备：目前保住其在政府中的地位，同时越来越多地谈论如果选民在第16届全国大选后让国阵重新执政，巫统将会采取什么行动。

迟来的正义终究是正义——赛义德·穆罕默德·伊迪德

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