Instead, the Melaka executive committee member said he travels from Merlimau to Mahkota almost every day to ensure Umno Youth’s election machinery is operating efficiently.

The Sept 28 Mahkota by-election will see Barisan Nasional’s Syed Hussien Syed Abdullah taking on Perikatan Nasional’s Haizan Jaafar.

“There is absolutely no such thing as a reduced role. There haven’t been any instructions at all (not to help in the BN campaign),” Akmal told FMT this morning while attending a fishing competition with Syed Hussien at Taman Ilham.

“I have been here since Sept 7, returning briefly to Merlimau and then coming back here.

“No one has asked me not to come down (to Mahkota). I am in Mahkota right now and I commute here almost every day to ensure BN’s campaign runs smoothly.

“The issue between Kok and me doesn’t need to be politicised in Mahkota. The focus should be on Syed Hussien.”

Earlier this week, an Umno leader told FMT that Akmal would have a limited role in the by-election despite Syed Hussien coming from the youth wing.

Speaking on condition of anonymity, the leader said certain comments made by Akmal in the past may have upset the Chinese community, and BN wanted to ensure its message is inclusive and unifying.

Akmal has been outspoken over a range of issues since the formation of the unity government, including the proposal to make Emergency-era New Villages a Unesco world heritage site, KK Mart’s sale of socks bearing the word Allah, and the role of vernacular schools.

His most recent outburst was over the mandatory halal certification issue, in which he slammed DAP vice-chairman Teresa Kok for opposing the proposal.

Akmal had called Kok a “nyonya tua” and warned her against speaking on matters concerning Islam.

Pundits warned Umno that Akmal’s tirade could cost the party in Mahkota, where Chinese voters make up about 35% of the electorate.