Umno deputy president Muhyiddin Yassin rebuked International Trade and Industry Minister Ahmad Maslan, calling him arrogant, for a comment.

He said Ahmad's saying " tomorrow is not the election day" last Wednesday to reporters did not make sense.

"There is an arrogant person holding a position in the party (and) the government, who said tomorrow is not election day.

"It is like a mother asking her son what he wants to be when he grows up and the son answered, 'I'm still a little boy, mother'," he said to laughter from about 400 of Kluang Umno delegates in the Annual General Meeting today.

Muhyiddin said that as Umno election director, it is his concern to make sure the party is strong and are ready to face even the possibility that Umno might be defeated in the next general election.

He called Ahmad's reply an "international joke" and said Umno members must see the concerns of people on the ground as well.

"I was the Umno's election director for several times, what I said was to remind. My statement was not made to damage the reputation of the party.

"I'm reminding that if we don't rise, we will be going through a difficult time," he said.

[More to follow]