Akmal said Umno had entered the unity government with clear conditions and he highlighted several issues that he said had angered the Malay community.
“When forming the government, we set red lines: do not touch our religion, our monarchy, and our race,” he said in his opening speech at Umno Youth’s special convention.
“For three years, we acted in good faith, but during these three years, they have shown repeated disrespect. My stand is to pull the handbrake on supporting the unity government.”
However, Umno Youth was not calling for the government to be brought down. Umno had only 26 seats in the Dewan Rakyat, and the government would remain in power, even without Umno. “It has sufficient seats (in Parliament),” he said later.
Akmal said Umno Youth would block any attempts by any party to seize power by undemocratic means. “We reject any effort to form a backdoor government. Let the people see how they govern without Umno,” he said. “Let the people choose us at elections. We do not want to bring down the existing government today.”
He said the Malays were upset over the ‘Allah’ socks issue and the upside-down flag issue, yet those penalised were “the ones defending it”. He said Malays were also angered when alcohol was served at government events.
In October, Bersatu MP Mas Ermieyati Samsudin posted a video on Facebook questioning the serving of alcohol at a government event, saying it violated cultural and constitutional norms.
Tourism, arts and culture minister Tiong King Sing later denied that alcohol was served at a government-hosted gala dinner, saying the event was organised by private partners to celebrate Malaysia’s first global travel event of its kind.
Akmal said in his speech: “I have warned them – if you cross the red line, the youth will oppose it,” stressing that the convention was held to put an end to repeated disrespect.
Responding to claims that the convention lacked approval from Umno’s top leadership, Akmal said Umno president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi had supported it.
“Zahid was the first to agree to hold this convention,” he said, adding that Zahid was prepared to face the consequences if the party’s grassroots demanded that Umno withdraw from the government.
The convention was prompted by Puchong MP Yeo Bee Yin’s refusal to apologise for a social media post stating that the Kuala Lumpur High Court’s rejection of former prime minister Najib Razak’s bid for house arrest was a cause for celebration.
Yeo’s remark drew the ire of senior Umno leaders such as secretary-general Asyraf Wajdi Dusuki, who said it might be appropriate for Umno to review its cooperation with those who did not appreciate the party’s contributions.