KUALA LUMPUR (Oct 29): Umno veteran Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah said it is not easy to bring down the 72-year old party as it has strong influences at the grassroots level.

“What do you mean destroyed? Umno is a grassroots party; it is mass-based,” he told reporters at the Parliament lobby.

“Umno is everywhere; in the villages, in government offices and there are even Umno people in businesses.

“There is history. Its struggle is based on the fight against the colonisers,” he added.

Razaleigh was responding to a question on the future of Umno amid speculation that a significant number of the party’s Members of Parliament will cross over to Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia (PPBM).

On Saturday, PPBM Supreme Council member Datuk A Kadir Jasin claimed that 40 Umno MPs nationwide could leave the party to join PPBM.

On the rebranding of Barisan Nasional, Razaleigh said that he was not informed nor consulted about the plan.

“I have only read that in the newspapers. No discussion or announcement was made to clarify the situation in BN whether there has been negotiations with the component parties,” he said.

On Saturday, BN chairman Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said that the coalition will be restructured and rebranded to strengthen it in efforts to retake the Federal Government in the next general election.

The coalition of Opposition parties would include BN’s five core parties, bloc partners and NGOs in order to create a two-coalition system, according to Zahid.

“Indeed we do want to make the (two-coalition system). It brings democracy and is good for the people and the country,” he said.