In a statement, he said the result was proof that the wave of change gripping the country could not be discounted and so Umno must change to adapt in a world growing more complex by the day.

“The people of Malaysia demand leadership that can be trusted to unite us, to restore confidence in our institutions, and to forge a clear national direction.

In Kuala Terengganu, Mentri Besar Datuk Ahmad Said said the Barisan election machinery had failed to do its “homework” and was unprepared for the by-election.

“I observed how the BN election workers functioned during my campaigning period and felt that they were weak in convincing the voters,” he said after chairing the weekly state exco meeting yesterday.

Ahmad said the “K5” system should have been used for the by-election. Under this system, each Barisan election worker must convince five voters to vote for Barisan.

“However, this was not the case and I was shocked to see in-fighting among Umno members who were interested in vying for party posts during the crucial period,” he said.

In Muar, several Umno branch leaders represented by Datuk Kadar Shah Tun Sulaiman Ninam Shah said Umno leaders should realise by now that the Malays, including those in Permatang Pauh, had lost confidence in Umno's leadership.

He said they should accept the fact that they needed to adopt a more realistic approach if they wanted to regain the confidence of the Malays.

He said that one major reason for Barisan's loss was the swearing on the Quran by both Saiful Bukhari Azlan and Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak.

He said Umno leaders should not allow the use of the Quran to resolve personal matters or to prove one's innocence. “We are sad that the Quran has been used as a means to resolve personal and political matters.

In Kuala Lumpur, Umno Youth exco member Datuk Mukhriz Mahathir, who is also Jerlun MP, said changes in Umno's top leadership should take place now.

“We have a credibility problem now due to the weak leadership. If we still continue with our good old ways, we will be defeated again,” he said. (The Star)

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