‘OUR POLICIES ALWAYS PUT PEOPLE FIRST’

Below is Umno president Datuk Seri Najib Razak’s speech during the party’s 71st anniversary celebration on Thursday

DATUK Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein, the whole Umno, Wanita and Pemuda leadership line-up, Ku Nan (Datuk Seri Tengku Adnan Tengku Mansor), Tan Sri Shahrizat Jalil, Khairy Jamaluddin, Datuk Mas Ermieyati Samsudin, Umno’s sixth president Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, Pak Lah, other Barisan Nasional component party leaders, who I welcome and care for.

The sea of supporters, the diehard fighters from Umno here tonight.

I begin with Assalamualaikum

wbt and Salam 1Malaysia.

Praise be to Allah (Alhamdulillah), as I stand up here after having gone round the stadium just now, I have never seen such a gathering as this gathering tonight.

I am very excited by this huge Umno gathering and of Malays in a sea of glowing, burning red.

Tonight is proof, clear evidence that this gathering is the symbol of Umno’s strength and loyalty, symbol of the sacrifice and flame of struggle of the Malays and Bumiputera of this beloved land. Ladies and gentlemen. Whatever may be the case, let us give thanks to Almighty Allah (SWT) by whose grace, permission and beneficence, we are able to gather together at this most meaningful event of Umno’s continuity and the Malay nation at this 71st celebration of Umno.

I have been made to understand that you, ladies and gentlemen, have been here since early afternoon.

I have also seen, through messages on social media, that most of the R&R areas along the highways have been captured by a wave of Umno red.

Ladies and gentlemen, you have come from all over the country, some in cars, others by bus, and still others on motorbikes and by LRT — all convening to demonstrate that Umno is the strongest political party in Malaysia.

I would like to ask, are we truly ready or not for the general election? Are we truly prepared? Can Parliament be dissolved tomorrow? This is our spirit, Umno’s extraordinary spirit. Who says Umno is not strong?

If they say Umno is not strong, just look at this gathering. Look. This is but just a portion of many. From where? From the kampung, the suburbs, the residential areas, three million more. More than three million.

Ladies and gentlemen.

Let the stars fall from the galaxy, even if the sky were to collapse on the Earth, the torch and fire of the Umno Bumiputera struggle, the sacred party of this land, will continue to move forward, always ablaze.

We will defend it to the last drop of our blood.

Ladies and gentlemen.

Tonight, I really feel encouraged, more confident. Why?

Because I am not alone. I am not lonely. Why?

Because around me, the Umno leadership line-up stands solid in a row, principled and loyal, sworn to support the party’s leadership and the religion.

Because of this solid leadership line-up, we are not afraid, we are not sad, whatever the future challenges may be, which the opposition may throw at us. We will face them with all our strength. Ladies and gentlemen.

It is best that we look back 71 years ago, when Umno was formed on the sweat, tears and oaths of loyalty to unite the Malays.

Although 71 years have passed, looking at tonight’s joyous spirit aflame, I feel as if we have just set up Umno tonight.

I ask you to cheer as loudly as possible: HIDUP MELAYU, HIDUP UMNO, HIDUP UMNO!

Ladies and gentlemen.

There is something else I would like to mention. Umno is not a communal party, it is not racist and neither is it extremist. We are not arrogant, we are willing to compromise and cooperate, we are willing to share power with our friends in BN.

This is why tonight, we have invited members of BN to join us. I wish to say here — please sit, do not stand up yet.

I wish to start with the MCA leadership, xie xie.

I now want to see the MIC leadership, romba nandri.

I go on with introducing the Gerakan leadership...

Followed by the MyPPP. We proceed across the South China Sea to PBB, PRS, SPDP, SUPP. Afterwards, we move to Sabah — PBS, PBRS, UPKO, LDP — and lastly, Friends of BN. Thank you to our BN friends. We move now surely to those who have flooded this stadium with the presence of the Umno leadership from all levels. I would especially like to see the leadership of Wanita Umno, the backbone of this party.

I would like to see the members of Pemuda Umno, the heirs…

I would like also to see the members of Puteri Umno. The colour pink.

We never forget the veterans of Umno, who have carried on the struggle all this while. Where are the Umno veterans?

I am as proud of the presence of the representatives of the 191 Umno divisions from all over the country. Can I hear the voices of the representatives from the Federal Territory, representatives from Perak, the voice of those from Penang, the cheers from Kedah’s representatives, from Pahang, Terengganu, representatives from Kelantan...

Now I want to hear the spirit of the Selangor representatives, from Negri Sembilan, Melaka, Johor, Perlis, Sabah and the nongovernmental organisations.

Let’s now hear the voice of the youth, the TN50 generation, where are they? Don’t let us not express our feelings, the popular song currently.

Ladies and gentlemen.

These are the members of Umno and BN, who are gathered here tonight, to come together to celebrate our 71st year. I ask myself, how are we able to still hold power until today?

What are the factors that have made Umno and BN the world’s most successful in an open democracy?

I can summarise it into four reasons on why we are here tonight, and celebrating the 71st year of Umno’s birth with extraordinary strength.

FIRST, we have never deserted the basic struggle of the party. The basis on which the party’s struggle pivots are Islam, Malay Bumiputera and the Malaysian nation, in general.

Not only have we never neglected them, we continue to empower them; Islam is empowered in this country because it is Umno’s struggle, the Malays are continually increasing in dignity