UMNO secretary-general Datuk Asyraf Wajdi Dusuki states delegates at PAU 2026 will have full freedom to debate and decide the party’s future political cooperation.
KUALA LUMPUR: UMNO is leaving it entirely to delegates at the 2026 UMNO General Assembly (PAU) to determine the party’s direction, including its position on political cooperation within the Unity Government.
UMNO secretary-general Datuk Asyraf Wajdi Dusuki said the party leadership would not prevent delegates from expressing their views on UMNO’s future, including its cooperation with coalition partners.
“UMNO will never restrict delegates from debating anything. Judging from sentiments on social media, these are among the hot topics, but I do not want to pre-empt the UMNO General Assembly.
“We are open to any debate by delegates, and most importantly, we should benefit from this UMNO General Assembly, including the assemblies of the women’s wing, Youth and Puteri, to discuss the party’s direction openly and thoroughly,” he told a press conference held in conjunction with PAU 2026 here today.
Asyraf Wajdi said grassroots views should be given space through open and transparent debate, particularly as the country enters the final phase of the current administration.
He said the continuation of political cooperation and the “Rumah Bangsa” concept were among the issues receiving the most attention among the 157 divisions that had submitted motions for debate at PAU 2026, which will be held at the World Trade Centre (WTC) Kuala Lumpur from Sept 9 to 12.
On the assembly’s authority to determine party policies, Asyraf Wajdi said PAU was UMNO’s highest decision-making platform and, under the party constitution, had the power to determine its position on policy matters, including cooperation with other political parties.
“The best platform for us to determine the party’s direction, including who we want to continue working with in the Unity Government, is up to the delegates.
“Most importantly, we hope this UMNO General Assembly will serve as the best platform, firstly, for us to reflect and conduct an internal introspection on whether we are truly carrying out the party transformation process that has been expected,” he said.
PAU 2026 is expected to bring together 6,401 official delegates from across the country, with pre-assembly events beginning on Sept 8 with the Malaysian Islamic Scholars Multaqa and the Malay Education Convention.
