KUALA LUMPUR – Having seen the party at its best, Tan Sri Shahrizat Abdul Jalil believes that now when Umno is at its watershed moment, she should return to the party actively to help reset the 77-year-old political institution.
“Down to 26 seats (which it won in the last general election) is a terrible showing, but we can bring the party back on track and make it attractive to voters again,” she told The Vibes.
“In a crisis, the women’s wing has always been relied upon to support the party. Umno will rise like the phoenix again,” she said.
Asked about her position on the current personality and leadership issues dodging Umno, Shahrizat said: “I am a party person, but I believe in the institution of the president.”
Despite her return to politics being probably one of the worst-kept secrets in town – with ceaseless talk of her political comeback over the last two months – Shahrizat said she was surprised by the buzz over her impending return to active politics.
“Is it true (that people had been talking about it)? I am really touched,” said the 69-year-old former minister who served in the governments of Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad, Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi and Datuk Seri Mohd Najib Razak.
Shahrizat said she was astonished yet encouraged by the response from party members who had been asking her to mount a challenge to the Wanita Umno leadership.
It was reported that 147 Wanita divisions had called on her to bid for the Wanita leadership.
Ironically, Shahrizat who was Wanita head between 2009 and 2018, will be going up against her successor Datuk Seri Noraini Ahmad.
“It is nothing personal. The party needs the young, but I also think the experienced hands are also needed to reboot Umno,” said Shahrizat who had handed over her candidacy papers to the party secretariat this afternoon. – The Vibes, February 17, 2023
Editor’s note: Shahrizat will elaborate on her decision to return to active politics next week on The Good, The Bad and The Ugly
