The Barisan Nasional chairman said this in response to Akmal joking that Umno should push for a new communications minister, after he experienced issues with internet coverage at the party’s general assembly.

“(Akmal) asked who is the current communications minister. Because his line was sketchy, he asked me to propose a new minister.

“When GE16 comes by, I’d say that Akmal needs to replace the Jasin MP,” he said in his closing speech at the Umno general assembly at Menara Dato Onn.

The Jasin seat in Melaka had been an Umno stronghold since independence, but Perikatan Nasional’s Zulkifli Ismail wrested it in the 2022 general election with a slim 322-vote majority.

The parliamentary constituency used to be represented by former deputy prime minister Ghafar Baba and former Melaka chief minister Abu Zahar Isnin.

During his own speech earlier in the day, Akmal “questioned” who the communications minister was after finding that his phone had “sketchy” connection in the hall.

“President (Zahid), I think we should swap the communications minister with an Umno man. That’ll make things easier,” he said, drawing laughter and applause from delegates.

The current communications minister is PKR information chief Fahmi Fadzil.