As the country is facing a challenging political atmosphere, the Malays and bumiputeras have no choice but to keep Umno in power for a bright future ahead.

Umno supreme council member Ismail Sabri Yaakob said any split would only be to their detriment and eventually would cause the country to be ruled by others.

“So, the option for the Malays is to retain Umno and Barisan Nasional’s power or let it be torn down.

“That’s why we (Umno members) have to work hard to strengthen unity among the members and leadership as well as get more support among the people,” said the Rural and Regional Development Minister.

He was speaking to reporters after attending the Bera Umno Division delegates meeting at Rakan Muda Complex in Bera today.

Ismail Sabri said any slanderous allegations against Umno especially the party president, Najib Abdul Razak, should be rejected.

In another development, he said the transfers of two Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission’s top officials to the Prime Minister's Department would not affect the 1MDB probe.

He said Umno Youth chief Khairy Jamaluddin’s statement, which questioned the transfers, was unfounded.

Meanwhile, in MARAN, Maran Umno Division chief Ismail Abdul Muttalib had urged Umno members not to write negative comments about the party via the social media.

He also advised Umno members especially the young people not to easily trust any news or whatever they read on the social media including Whatsapp because some of them were defamatory.

Ismail said this after opening the Maran Puteri Umno delegates meeting.

- Bernama