A VIRAL photo of UMNO Youth leader Dr Muhamad Akmal Saleh alongside former foreign affairs minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein, who was suspended from the party in January has sparked attention.
Additionally, Akmal’s criticism of UMNO president Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi has gained support from cyber troopers aligned with the Pakatan Harapan (PH) faction.
There are claims that the Merlimau state assembly member, who is also the executive council (exco) of the Melaka government conspired with the former UMNO vice president and some have also labelled him a ‘boy of Hisham.’
That is not the end of the woes for the fiery youth leader who is now tagged on Twitter by PH cyber troopers as a ‘campaigner’ for the opposition Perikatan Nasional (PN).
Akmal reacted to the accusations that he is a man of H20, which is Hishamuddin’s Twitter handle by clarifying that the picture is dated 2019.
“I would like to clarify, this picture that was transmitted was during my meeting with him (Hishammuddin) on Sept 25, 2019.
“At that time, UMNO was still in the opposition and the government at that time was PH (Pakatan Harapan), I was only the Jasin Division UMNO Youth Leader and not yet the UMNO (Malaysia) Youth Leader.
“He (Hishammuddin) was also still a member of UMNO,” he said while urging all parties in the party to stop the culture of labeling each other, and instead focus on restoring UMNO.
In his Facebook statement, Akmal said now is not the time to make baseless accusations because the responsibility that needs to be borne at this time is to restore the people’s trust in UMNO.
However, last week he took jibe at Zahid saying it is the people’s voice that counts and not that of the party president.
He pointed out that the results of the state elections proved that UMNO needed to be brave enough to change by prioritising the voice of the people instead of the voice of the leader if the party did not want to continue to be forgotten.
His veiled attacks against Zahid did not go down well with a PH supporter who is very popular on Twitter.
User @lady_bugg11 went on a tirade against Akmal. She posted a long response to the latter, with a meme saying that the UMNO man is helping the opposition more than anyone else in his criticism of his party.
Inilah dia Ketua Pemuda UMNO yang sekarang hanya berani hentam rakan dalam Parti dan melawan ketua sendiri.
Apabila dengan musuh politik tak pernah nak berani, senyap membisu.
Kau sepatutnya sebagai Ketua Pemuda UMNO kena berani lawan dengan musuh politik. Tak guna kalau… pic.twitter.com/ruNVIQgH6W
— CIKY🅰️NIE (@lady_bugg11) August 18, 2023
(Here he is, the current UMNO Youth Chief, who only dares to criticise fellow party members and oppose his own leader. When it comes to political enemies, he never dares to confront, remaining silent and mute.
(As the UMNO Youth Chief, you should be brave enough to stand up against political adversaries. It’s useless if you’re only good at talking but lack substance.
(It seems that PN wants to see UMNO divided further. As the Youth Chief, you should be defending the party and the leader instead of adding salt to the wounds.
(Take the example of PPBM Wan Ahmad Fayhsal, who passionately defends his president whenever political opponents try to undermine the party and its president. This isn’t about flattery; it’s about safeguarding the party and president. The UMNO Youth Chief should learn from Wan about how to protect the party and president.
(And here’s one more question for the UMNO Youth Chief: Is your allegiance now with UMNO and the UMNO president, or is it with PN and the PN President?
(If your heart is with UMNO and the President, starting today, try to learn how to defend them. If your heart leans towards PN, then fill out the forms and be a part of it. UMNO doesn’t need someone who can’t defend the party and its president.) – Aug 19, 2023
