Umno is undergoing a "whitening" process that will enable the party to emerge stronger in order to face the 15th general election, said its secretary-general.

In a statement today, Annuar Musa said this will also ensure that Umno is able to continue its struggle for the Malays, Islam and the country.

"Umno is conducting a 'whitening' process and is updating its membership list nationwide which is expected to be concluded by the end of December.

“This includes cancelling the memberships of those who have passed away, members who cannot be traced and those who are no longer with Umno.

"This process will make Umno cleaner and more organised. In its struggle to continue fighting for the rights of Malays, Muslims and the nation, the Umno leadership, led by Mohamad Hasan and his supreme council, will work towards strengthening the structure of its 191 divisions and 22,000 branches nationwide," said Annuar.

Yesterday, Annuar said Umno will remain single and will not merge with any other party to stay afloat.

Therefore, he urged all quarters, including PAS, not to resort to "empty talk" about merging with Umno.

Annuar's remark came following a remark by PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang that the Islamist party's merger with Umno will not be easy as the latter was "sinking".

On Dec 19, meanwhile, PAS vice-president Mohd Amar Nik Abdullah had also said that Umno has no political future and thus, the party should be dissolved and its members join PAS.

Umno and PAS became informal allies following the aftermath of the 14th general election.

However, both parties insist that their cooperation is only on issues pertaining to Malays and Islam and both have repeatedly ruled out a merger.