Umno deputy denies 2 million member exodus, questions Annuar’s claims

Umno deputy president Mohamad Hasan has denied claims made by former Umno information chief Annuar Musa that two million members have left the party. Mohamad, who is also the Barisan Nasional deputy chairman, urged Annuar to be cautious when making statements about Umno, even though he has the right to do so.

“I don’t know where he got the numbers from. I can also claim that there are two million people who joined Umno. People can think and make up their minds. Indeed there are members who have quit the party, some followed (Annuar) and some were disappointed (with the Barisan Nasional-Pakatan Harapan collaboration) but the number is not that big,” said Mohamad.

He made these comments to reporters after attending a dinner hosted by the Terengganu Umno Liaison Committee. Annuar, now a PAS member, claimed at a recent Perikatan Nasional (PN) rally in Senawang, Negeri Sembilan, that Umno had lost more than two million supporters even before the 15th general election.

Regarding the upcoming state elections, Mohamad expressed confidence that victory in states under the administration of the unity government could be maintained. “The issue now is to make sure that Barisan Nasional can regain its footing and also if possible, to win in states like Terengganu and Kedah.”

He added, “There is a chance to win, on the condition that we work hard, we don’t fight with each other and enter the polls with the right strategy… choose a candidate who can win and field a candidate whose credibility cannot be questioned.”

The state elections will involve six states: Selangor, Penang, Negeri Sembilan, Kedah, Kelantan, and Terengganu.