Umno president Najib Abdul Razak has ticked off Umno leaders who hoarded handouts for their own supporters instead giving it to the community.

He lamented that whether the party had built mosques, set up parent-teacher associations, or provided housing, none of these efforts had translated into political support.

“Where have we gone wrong? Is Umno too busy with its internal affairs until it is more important to defend our branch chiefs or higher positions, than to find supporters for Umno?

“Or is it that when we do something - whether to give houses, condominiums, or kind of aid - we give it to our lieutenants rather than our community,” he said in a speech at the opening of the Federal Territories Umno convention this morning.

His statement drew a loud applause and shouts of “Yes!” from the participants, comprised largely of Umno members and NGOs.

He said Umno leaders need to be fair and inclusive so the party would remain in power.

On the other hand, he said those asking for handouts should also know whether they qualify, and not threaten to withdraw support when they don’t deserve the aid.

“It makes things difficult for leaders - damned if you do and damned if you don’t,” he said.