Umno president Najib Razak has been too "polite" and needs to be firm in order to set things right in the party, said a senior member.

Umno supreme council member Mohd Puad Zakashi reflecting on the party's "humiliating defeat" at this week's general election blamed the party's cronyism and warlords for crashing out of power that saw a change in government for the first time in half a century.

"Najib must realise a tough attitude is important (in managing the party).

"He is someone that is 'polite', but he is not firm, so he would lose against the warlords in Umno," he said in a Facebook posting today.

He was commenting on the event of the tragedy of Umno's electoral defeat that has marred its 72nd birth anniversary that falls today.

Puad blamed the pandering of party leaders to the warlords for the GE14 disaster, in particular singling out Umno vice president Hishammuddin Hussein and former Johor menteri besar Khaled Nordin as being responsible for the loss of their bastion Johor to Pakatan Harapan.

He said this negated all the good initiatives and caused negative effects instead.

For example, he said, the noble effort to name more women candidates was important, but “morals and merit were compromised”.

“In the end, it condemned the image of the party,” he said.

He said this was the reason Amanah president Mohamad Sabu could win by a 71,142 majority in Kota Raja.

Puad said he is only raising “what's wrong” with the “system inside Umno that is rotten” and needs to be rectified.

“With this, the party leader must be firm to defend this. Don't be wishy washy. If not, the trust deficit will spread within and outside Umno,” he warned, adding he believed Umno could rise again like the LDP party had done in Japan.