State Umno Youth chief Abdul Aziz Julkarnain said the future of the party rests in the hands of its younger members.

Aziz also urged his compatriots not to be “drunk with power” after sharing power at state and federal levels and with their recently bestowed positions.

Instead, he said it was time to strengthen the party at every level, warning that losing power once again was not impossible.

“Remember the times when we lost power. Don’t let the people punish us again for failing to learn from past mistakes,” he said in his message at the Sabah Umno delegates annual general meeting here.

“Be aware that the grassroots are looking and evaluating the youth’s performance because we are seen as a reflection of the party’s future.

“The fall or rise of this party is down to the struggles we are laying the foundation for.

“The answer to whether we will truly rise in the 15th general election or merely remain part of the corridors of power also depends on the quality of ‘roads’ we are building,” he said.

Meanwhile, he also urged party members to make full use of the autonomy granted to Sabah Umno by the central leadership to chart its own political course without much interference from across the South China Sea.

“Hence, we must translate this autonomy into action for the legacy of future generations … don’t allow this to be another meaningless political rhetoric,” Aziz said.