RSIS held a seminar titled “The Future of UMNO” on 16 June 2023. It was led by Mr Shahril Hamdan, Visiting Fellow, Malaysia Programme, RSIS; and Mr Bastien Onn, Deputy Chief of the UMNO Segamat Division in Johor, Malaysia.

The United Malays National Organisation (UMNO) appears to be in decline, particularly after its worst outing in the 15th General Election in November 2022 and its subordinate role in the Anwar Administration. Indeed, the party and the multi-racial coalition it leads, Barisan Nasional, have lost steady support among the electorate in more than a decade. No serious internal review of its performance has been made public and it has stuck to the same leadership and ethos, forgoing multiple opportunities for course change and renewal.

This seminar assessed where UMNO is today, in terms of its leadership, values, membership, and voters. It also discussed the party’s trajectory in the coming years, addressing the question: can UMNO win again on its old brand particularly with interlopers like Bersatu and the Pan-Malaysian Islamic Party (PAS) snapping at its heels?

Watch the seminar here: