KUALA LUMPUR – Umno Youth champions the voice of the people, but also respects the presidential institution, said its chief Muhamad Akmal Saleh today.
As such, the party wing does not have any conflict with its leaders, institutions, and other party wings.
Nonetheless, Akmal believes his wing should be the people’s representatives in its own way, and carry out actions it deems necessary.
“We carry the voice of the grassroots. It does not mean there is any conflict between us and the president. We still respect the presidential institution,” he told a press conference at the World Trade Centre during the Umno general assembly today.
Akmal was responding to reports that several of the youth wing’s delegates did not stand up when party president Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi visited their debates, an act supposed to be a party tradition.
He debunked the claims, adding that he had himself sat next to the deputy prime minister in respect.
Akmal also pointed out that several points made during the youth wing’s assembly were incorporated in Zahid’s speech and the Supreme Council’s amendments.
This, he added, indicated that the party respects and celebrates the wing’s stance.
FMT had earlier reported that several members of the youth wing refrained from standing up to welcome Zahid into their debate session, and the party president’s speech received a “lukewarm response”, according to a source.
The unnamed source added that there were concerns Zahid could not influence the grassroots to support the party and lift it off its poor performance in the last general election. – The Vibes, June 10, 2023
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