Umno Youth chief Asyraf Wajdi Dusuki said going on leave would allow Zahid to better focus on his upcoming corruption trial, adding that he was not calling for Zahid’s resignation.

“Our principle is that as long as he is not convicted, he should not resign from holding the president’s post,” he told a press conference at the Umno headquarters here.

“We are not urging him to resign, we are just urging him to take leave, for awhile at least, until everything is over,” he said, adding Zahid’s trial could “take some time”.

Zahid, the former deputy prime minister who was elected as the Umno president in July, is facing 45 charges related to criminal breach of trust, money laundering and corruption, involving more than RM100 million.

Asyraf’s view comes days after Umno veteran Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah, who heads the party’s council of advisers, said it was best for Zahid to either take leave or resign from his post as was the practice of previous Umno leaders who had been charged in court.

Umno has since said it was never a practice for leaders who are charged in court to take leave.

Asyraf said he would meet Zahid to discuss the proposal, but said it would be up to the party’s Supreme Council.

“If the court decides that he is not guilty, we (Umno Youth) will be the first one to support him.”