KUALA LUMPUR: Umno, despite being a 71-year-old party, remains relevant as a contemporary party for the youth.
Party president, Datuk Seri Najib Razak said the age may be considered old for a human, but for a party responsible for bringing the country its independence, it is considered young.
"Alhamdullilah, although this party is still young, it has accomplished a lot for the Malays, the Bumiputera, Islam, as well as the country.
Najib added in his latest posting on his blog NajibRazak.com, in conjunction with the 71st Umno General Assembly, he urged everyone to reflect on how far Umno had led the Malays, Bumiputera, and the country, toward success which everyone is enjoying today.
Najib said the Bumiputera, as the majority group which comprised 60 per cent of the population in Malaysia, must remain prosperous and successful, to drive the country forward.
"Since I took over the leadership in 2009, the government under Barisan Nasional had implemented numerous initiatives. There were some initiatives which we had improvised from the previous leaders, to continue reinforcing the Bumiputera Agenda as the National Agenda."
Among others, Najib said, the continuous effort by the government has seen the gross household income for the Bumiputera increasing from RM3,624 in 2009 to RM6,267 last year, while poverty among the Bumiputera has decreased from 5.3 per cent in 2009, to 0.5 per cent last year.
"More than that, we always ensure that the Malays and Bumiputera remain competitive, be it in education, career, asset ownership, and many more. All of these I encompassed in the Bumiputera Economic Transformation Roadmap which was launched this year."
Najib said all of these achievements are the result of the struggles and efforts of all Umno members, from its grass root members to the leaders.
Umno, he said, is a party which loves and is willing to sacrifice for the country.
"Umno is people's party and it belongs to its members. It's not a party owned by any individual.
"Insyallah, Umno will continue to carry the responsibility, to helm and bring the Malays, Bumiputera, the people, and the country, to the victory.
"Our fight is genuine and sincere. For the religion, race, and country," he said.