He said the people knew Umno’s track record in administering and developing the country, but many still had issues of trust in supporting the party.

“We (Umno leaders) have to be seen that we have learned from what happened in GE14,” he told Bernama.

Pakatan Harapan (PH) won GE14 on May 9, 2018, ending the 61-year rule of Barisan Nasional (BN), led by Umno.

Mahdzir said the issue of party leaders facing charges in court should be handled rationally and wisely to avoid causing a split in the party.

He said Umno had gone through various crises since its establishment nearly 75 years ago, including its deregistration in 1988, establishment of the splinter party Semangat 46, and the dismissal of the party’s deputy president, Anwar Ibrahim, who later formed Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR).

Hence, he said, Umno leaders and members should return to the basics of the party struggle in preserving the interests of the nation, as well as consultation to overcome current crises.

Mahdzir said the Umno general assembly on March 27 and 28 would be a platform for leaders and members to show their solidarity in setting the party’s direction in preparation for GE15, including its cooperation with PAS and PPBM.

Apart from that, he said, Umno should offer a “new deal” to the people who longed for change in line with current needs.

He cited, as an example, the country’s digitalisation effort, which should be implemented comprehensively because quality internet access was now a necessity for the people.

“We have to convince the people that Umno can do what they want and there is a new deal for them,” he said.

The Padang Terap MP said the pendulum was now swinging back to Umno and BN after being rejected by the majority of the people in GE14.

“I don’t see in GE15 that the people will reject Umno, but we want to see how strong the pendulum swings to Umno and BN,” he added.