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THE 2025 UMNO General Assembly (PAU) began officially on Friday morning with a ceremonial raising of the Sang Saka Bangsa flag at Plaza Merdeka at 8.24 am, officiated by UMNO President Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi in the presence of the party’s top leadership.
The flag-raising was followed by the singing of the party anthem, Bersatu, Bersetia, Berkhidmat, immediately after the Sang Saka Bangsa was fully hoisted. Deputy President Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan and Secretary-General Datuk Asyraf Wajdi Dusuki were also present, alongside three Vice Presidents, Datuk Seri Wan Rosdy Wan Ismail, Datuk Seri Mohamed Khaled Nordin and Datuk Seri Johari Abdul Ghani.
Other attendees included members of the UMNO Supreme Council, Women’s Chief Datuk Seri Noraini Ahmad, Youth Chief Dr Muhamad Akmal Saleh, and Puteri Chief Datuk Nurul Amal Mohd Fauzi.
Approximately 6,400 UMNO delegates from 191 divisions gathered at the World Trade Centre Kuala Lumpur (WTCKL) from Wednesday, January 14, to Saturday, January 17 for the assembly.
In a related development, the management of a local news portal announced it would attend PAU at Dewan Merdeka, WTCKL to apologise in person to party leaders for a recent error in publishing graphics of pigs in articles related to PAU coverage.
The portal had contacted UMNO Youth Chief Datuk Muhamad Akmal Saleh and UMNO President Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi to convey their apologies and arrange for a direct meeting with party leadership.
“The error is deeply regretted and the portal takes full responsibility for the incident,” the management stated.
According to the portal, the mistake involved uploading three graphics on social media intended for unrelated reports.
Two of these graphics incorrectly used Malay-language headlines referencing PAU, while one featured an image of pigs at a farm in Tanjung Sepat, Selangor, which was intended for a report on pig farming.
Another graphic misused a UMNO-related headline for an article on Malaysian Armed Forces’ KAGAT officers, and the third incorrectly associated PAS criticism of UMNO with an unrelated story concerning DAP advisor Lim Guan Eng.
All erroneous posts have been removed, and internal audits are underway to prevent recurrence. UMNO Youth had given the portal a 24-hour deadline to attend Dewan Merdeka at WTCKL for a public apology.
The incident underscores the party’s insistence on accurate reporting and careful handling of its coverage in the digital media landscape, especially during high-profile events like the General Assembly. - January 16, 2026
