Umno AGM 2016 preview

PETALING JAYA: The 2016 Umno Annual General Assembly (AGM) which begins tomorrow may be the last chance for the backbone of the ruling Barisan Nasional coalition to rally party members ahead of the next general election, widely speculated as being in the first half of next year.
More than 5,000 delegates from every corner of the country will attend the five-day gathering at Putra World Trade Centre (PWTC), which will kick of with the opening of three wings assemblies by the respective heads on Tuesday night.
Party president Datuk Seri Najib Abdul Razak will deliver his much anticipated keynote address on Thursday where he is expected to drum home the importance of unity and solidarity ahead of the 14th general election.
Federal Territories Umno Youth chief Mohd Razlan Rafii said he expected the prime minister to outline strategies of what the party would be doing to face challenges ahead of the next national polls.
"The delegates must be told what are the party achievements and contributions so they could be well placed to disseminate the information to the grassroots and counter opposition propaganda," he said.
Mohd Razlan said delegates in the hall and members nationwide also wanted to know how the party planned to deal with the challenge posed by Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia (PPBM) and Parti Warisan Sabah (Warisan), parties formed by former top party leaders.
He said Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad, Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin and Datuk Seri Shafie Apdal, were three former top leaders, who may still have some traction among members and delegates may want to know how the party proposed to handle their challenge on Umno's grip on power.
Mahathir and Muhyiddin are currently leading the Malay-based PPBM, while Shafie has gone regional with his Sabah based Warisan. Both Umno splinter parties are now working with the opposition coalition to capture Putrajaya.
This aside, a point of interest, is the party's current love affair with the PAS, which has not just raised concern with Umno's coalition partners in the BN but also raised eyebrows among the party's grassroots.
Many hope that Najib will address this as well as the party's stand on controversial PAS president Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang's private member's bill to amend the syariah courts jurisdiction.
The assembly ends on Saturday with the winding up speech by Najib.