KUALA LUMPUR – Umno is seeing a resurgence in support across Malay, Chinese and Indian voters following its performance in the Johor and Negeri Sembilan state elections, with 45,808 people also recorded as having returned to the party since the introduction of its “Rumah Bangsa” concept.
Umno secretary-general Datuk Dr Asyraf Wajdi Dusuki said the increased support reflected growing public confidence in the party and Barisan Nasional (BN), rather than merely improvements in electoral numbers.
He said Chinese support for BN in Johor rose from 9.5 per cent in the 2022 state election to 20 per cent in 2026, while support in Negeri Sembilan increased from 8.7 per cent to 14 per cent.
He said Indian support also recorded a significant increase, rising from 18.9 per cent in Johor in 2022 to 54.8 per cent this year.
“In both state elections, BN secured the highest share of Indian votes compared with other parties,” he said in his speech at the Umno Youth General Assembly at the World Trade Centre Kuala Lumpur (WTCKL) on Friday.
Asyraf also pointed to a sharp increase in Malay support, with BN's share in Negeri Sembilan rising from 45.8 per cent in 2022 to 79 per cent in 2026.
In Johor, Malay support increased from 44.9 per cent in 2022 to 82.4 per cent this year, he said.
He attributed the increase to several factors, including support from military voters, with BN winning all 14 military camp polling channels in Johor with 82.1 per cent of the vote.
In Negeri Sembilan, he said cooperation with Pas and its Perikatan Nasional (PN) partners resulted in 94.7 per cent support from military voters, with BN winning all 88 polling channels.
Asyraf also highlighted BN's performance in Felda polling districts, saying the coalition secured victories in all such districts in Negeri Sembilan and across Johor.
He credited former Felda chairman Datuk Seri Ahmad Shabery Cheek for efforts to restore the confidence of Felda settlers.
The Umno secretary-general said young voters had also contributed to the party's performance, with BN winning all Malay youth voting channels in Johor and Negeri Sembilan.
He congratulated Umno Youth chief Dr Muhamad Akmal Saleh and Umno Puteri chief Datuk Nurul Amal Mohd Fauzi for their efforts to reconnect young people with the party.
Asyraf said the party's “Rumah Bangsa” concept, introduced by Umno president at the previous Umno General Assembly, had also received a strong response from former members and supporters.
“Since the concept was announced at the Umno General Assembly about seven months ago, a total of 45,808 people have been recorded as having returned to 'Rumah Bangsa',” he said.
He also thanked several former senior leaders, including Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein, Khairy Jamaluddin, Tan Sri Hamid Albar, Tan Sri Syed Hamid Albar, Tan Sri Nor Mohamed Yakcop and Datuk Seri Mustapa Mohamed, for their return and continued support.
As of Aug 31, 2026, Umno's total membership stood at 3,251,456, comprising about 1.4 million Umno Women members, 418,000 Umno Youth members and 226,000 Umno Puteri members.
Johor recorded the highest increase in new members over the past eight months, followed by Pahang, Selangor, Perak and Sabah, he said.
However, Asyraf cautioned party members against becoming complacent following the electoral gains.
He said the same political momentum that lifted the party could also bring it down if its leaders and members became disconnected from reality.
“This victory is not a licence for us to beat our chests. It is a responsibility and a mandate to serve the people even better, with humility and sincerity,” he said.
Asyraf said the party's gains in Johor and Negeri Sembilan had not come easily, pointing to what he described as intimidation, slander and malicious accusations against those involved in Umno's cooperation with its former political partner, Pas.
He said the challenges were intended to frighten, humiliate, damage reputations and test the party's determination.
Earlier, Asyraf congratulated all 21,484 Umno branches and 191 divisions nationwide for holding their meetings within the stipulated period.
He said the participation demonstrated that the party's grassroots machinery remained active and that its struggle continued to have a presence across the country.