Speculation is intensifying over the political future of UMNO Youth chief Datuk Dr Muhamad Akmal Saleh following a clear reaffirmation by party president Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi that UMNO will remain in the Unity Government until the end of the current parliamentary term. The stance, reiterated after a UMNO Political Bureau meeting on 5 January 2026, has effectively shut the door on proposals calling for a withdrawal from the Madani administration or any form of backdoor manoeuvre.
Zahid, who also chairs Barisan Nasional, emphasised that UMNO’s long-standing principle is to avoid actions that could destabilise the country’s political landscape. He signalled caution over reviving past alliances, stressing that the party had no intention of revisiting arrangements that previously failed or led to internal fractures. This position directly contradicts the push led by Akmal for UMNO to exit the government and regroup with PAS under a revived Muafakat Nasional banner.
The divergence has placed Akmal increasingly at odds with the party’s top leadership. His call for UMNO to reposition itself as an opposition force, framed as a move to consolidate Malay political unity, has drawn criticism from senior figures who argue that such a strategy risks alienating voters and undermining stability.
Tensions escalated when UMNO communications director Datuk Lokman Noor Adam alleged that Akmal had defied party discipline on more than one occasion. Lokman claimed that Akmal had misrepresented Zahid’s position by suggesting that the UMNO president had endorsed the UMNO Youth Special Convention held on 3 January 2026, where calls to leave the Unity Government were openly aired. He also cited an earlier incident in Kepala Batas involving a controversial rally, alleging that Akmal had broken a direct assurance given to Zahid, raising concerns over trust and leadership credibility.
Following Zahid’s firm restatement of UMNO’s position, Lokman remarked that expectations among certain quarters for UMNO to engineer a political realignment or force a government collapse had been effectively dashed. He argued that any future consideration of cooperation with PAS should only be revisited after the 16th General Election, rather than through abrupt moves that could damage UMNO’s standing.
Despite the leadership’s position, Akmal has continued to frame the outcomes of the youth convention as constructive proposals rather than acts of rebellion, insisting that his focus remains on Malay unity while rejecting any attempt to topple the existing government prematurely. This interpretation, however, appears increasingly isolated as senior leaders close ranks around Zahid.
With UMNO’s annual general assembly scheduled for 14 to 17 January 2026, Akmal’s stance is expected to face its sternest test yet. The gathering is likely to determine whether his defiance will translate into lasting influence within the party or whether it has instead weakened his position at a critical juncture for UMNO’s future direction.
Kamran (kfiverr21@gmail.com) is a content creator under the Newswav Creator programme, where you get to express yourself, be a citizen journalist, and at the same time monetize your content & reach millions of users on Newswav. Log in to creator.newswav.com and become a Newswav Creator now!
The User Content (as defined on Newswav Terms of Use) above including the views expressed and media (pictures, videos, citations etc) were submitted & posted by the author. Newswav is solely an aggregation platform that hosts the User Content. If you have any questions about the content, copyright or other issues of the work, please contact creator@newswav.com.
