A veteran UMNO figure has a stark warning for the party: keep the current government running until the end of its term, and UMNO will be wiped out. He is pressing Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi to hold firm to the party's position and not back down. The veteran also wants the leadership to use every available lever of pressure to push for elections in the near term. His words reflect a deeper anxiety inside UMNO about spending another full term watching from the sidelines. Supporters of an early election fear the present arrangement drains whatever strength the party has left. Zahid now faces demands from within his own ranks to act rather than keep negotiating. How he responds could decide how much fight the party carries into the next general election.