The direction chosen by Umno after its internal polls last week underpins the belief that the party is still strong and influential at its core, despite losing federal power for the first time in its history.

“With the party suffering a horrific defeat at the recent polls, it is only right for Umno to move forward into restructuring… and a rebranding as Umno 3.0,” new party president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said on Sunday, in his first media conference after his victory.

Those aligned to Zahid, such as a Johor division chief, Nur Jazlan Mohamed, believe a familiar senior leader is needed to steady the ship. “Zahid should be allowed to stabilise the party first. And then we can talk about the next general election,” he told The Straits Times.

But analysts are unsure if chieftains used to having ample resources when Umno was in power can restore faith in the party.

“Rebranding is not the same as reforming… so it remains to be seen how deep this attempt at change would be,” said S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies‘ senior fellow Yang Razali Kassim.