KUALA LUMPUR – Umno Youth chief Muhamad Akmal Salleh appeared to extend an olive branch to former party members who have left Umno, stating that the party is now “at its lowest point” and “cannot afford” to have division.
Addressing delegates at the party youth wing’s general assembly today, Akmal said that leaders in the Barisan Nasional linchpin should be focusing their efforts on solidifying relationships with ex-party members instead of causing unnecessary friction.
“We should not make fun of our (former) party members who are now on the outside (as) they too once contributed to the party. Our job now is to bring them back to Umno… we must be brave enough to do so.
“Umno is at its lowest point and cannot handle any more division. (Former party members) who are sulking outside the party, Umno Youth are begging you to come and join Umno again,” Akmal said during his policy speech at the World Trade Centre here.
While Akmal did not mention any names in relation to his open invitation, he assured that Umno Youth will look into establishing more mature politics to “return dignity” to the party.
Besides that, he said that Umno must move beyond racial and religious rhetoric that are often played up by its opponents, urging the party to instead direct its hard work towards showing the people what it can do to aid the Malay race.
“A lot of people talk about establishing a Malay convention or charter… but in the end, they only spoke to ensure that they remain in power.
“What do these old people know about the problems we are facing today? All they do is talk about the issue of who is more Malay or Islamic, but we are here to tell you that Umno Youth’s main goal is to ensure the holistic survival of Malays.
“We will not be trapped in political games that only play around with rhetoric without any concrete solutions,” he said.
Meanwhile, commenting on the decision to not invite other unity government parties to attend the party wing assembly, Akmal said that the call was made to first solve grassroot issues within Umno itself.
“We didn’t invite them (other unity government parties) to join our assembly not because we do not want to work together, but because we need to address matters among ourselves as some of us are still confused and unhappy (with the unity government).
“This assembly is the space for us to express our feelings and thoughts with no holds barred,” he said, adding that several grassroot members have approached him with their concerns on how cooperation with DAP will affect Umno’s struggle.
Noting that the party’s grassroots are worried that DAP might hamper Umno’s agenda of upholding Malay rights, he declared that Umno Youth will be the first movement to “cut down” anyone who attempts to derail the party from its principles.
He also suggested that DAP issue a public apology to Umno for any condemnation the Pakatan Harapan party had made against Umno in the past, stating that this will “soften the hearts” of Umno supporters for the upcoming state polls.
“If DAP wants to soften the hearts of Umno people and build friendships, then they should retract every insult that they have thrown at Umno,” he said.
Noting how DAP secretary-general Anthony Loke had previously apologised to the people of Sarawak and the state government for offensive statements that his party members had made, Akmal said that Umno should be afforded similar considerations. – The Vibes, June 8, 2023
