UMNO members must get out of their cocoon of complacency, discard their take it easy attitude and being overly confident if the party is to continue spearheading Barisan Nasional (BN) after the 14th General Election (GE14).

Melaka UMNO delegate, Mustafa Musa said UMNO must admit the party is in dire straits following the changing political landscape and the thinking of the people, and if not tackled well, UMNO would be rejected in GE14.

"The reality today is the very stiff competition. Opportunists are clear, but wolf in sheep's clothing, and enemies within are very dangerous because they are poisons which will destroy the party.

"Remember scholar, Aristotles' words, that people who are too confident and too comfortable would normally lose because they do not draw up strategies," he said when debating the motion on the Presidential Policy Speech at the 2016 UMNO General Assembly here Thursday.

On the other hand, Mustafa said a person who felt he was weak would end up victorious because he would sweat and continue to endeavour without stopping.

Meanwhile, Perlis UMNO delegate Che Zaidi Saidin said the party must choose quality candidates with the ability to win the hearts of the people to ensure the outcome of GE14 favoured UMNO and BN.

He said under the current political condition and situation, UMNO should not take it easy or use the trial and error approach when selecting candidates.

"There is no longer the term makeshift candidates (bidan terjun) to contest in the opposition strongholds because it will affect the party's chance," he said.

"The selections of candidates must be done according to appropriate consideration and not based on suggestions from lobbyists who want certain people to represent their interests," he added. -- Bernama