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UMNO Youth chief Datuk Dr Muhamad Akmal Saleh confirmed that he will be present at the Palace of Justice in Putrajaya this Monday to show solidarity with Datuk Seri Najib Razak.
However, he said his presence at the rally will be in his personal capacity.
He also said that his support for the former prime minister and former Umno president remains unchanged.
"As a party member, we uphold the decree of the Yang di-Pertuan Agong and respect the party's decision not to gather.
"However, I will still attend in my personal capacity to support Najib, as I have before," he said.
His statement comes after Umno announced that it will not proceed with the rally, following remarks from Istana Negara as well as advice from the inspector-general of police.
Umno secretary-general Datuk Seri Asyraf Wajdi Dusuki said the party respected the King’s prerogative under Article 42(1) and (2) of the Federal Constitution regarding the case of the former prime minister.
He said Umno would abide by the king’s call to respect the royal prerogative on pardons and to abide by established procedures.
The rally was initially intended to show support for the convicted Najib, who is bidding for judicial review of his pardon over a purported “royal addendum” for him to serve the remainder of his imprisonment under house arrest.
Meanwhile, PAS secretary-general Datuk Seri Takiyuddin Hassan said the solidarity rally will proceed as planned.
In a statement today, Takuyuddin clarified that the upcoming solidarity assembly for Najib is peaceful and does not contradict constitutional provisions or interfere with the Pardons Board’s proceedings.
He stressed that the rally serves solely to defend the Yang di-Pertuan Agong’s prerogative powers from manipulation and lack of transparency while supporting all lawful efforts by Najib to seek justice.
Yesterday, Istana Negara issued a statement urging the public to respect the Constitution and laws ahead of the rally.
Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Razarudin Husain also warned the public not to join any such rally, citing the palace’ statement. - January 4, 2025