Umno Youth chief Datuk Dr Akmal Saleh speaking at the Umno Youth Convention, where his call for the party to leave the Unity Government drew criticism from political analysts. - Bernama file pic, January 6, 2026
Akmal’s Umno–PAS push driven by personal ambition, risks weakening party unity, analysts warn
Political analysts caution that Umno Youth chief Datuk Dr Akmal Saleh’s call to revive cooperation with PAS reflects personal political ambitions rather than party consensus, warning it could undermine Umno’s stability, multiracial identity, and position within the Unity Government
Sandru Narayanan
Updated 59 minutes ago
6 January, 2026
8:00 AM MYT
Akmal’s Umno–PAS push driven by personal ambition, risks weakening party unity, analysts warn
Political analysts caution that Umno Youth chief Datuk Dr Akmal Saleh’s call to revive cooperation with PAS reflects personal political ambitions rather than party consensus, warning it could undermine Umno’s stability, multiracial identity, and position within the Unity Government
Sandru Narayanan
Updated 59 minutes ago
6 January, 2026
8:00 AM MYT
KUALA LUMPUR — Umno Youth chief Datuk Dr Akmal Saleh should stop pushing a narrow political agenda that risks undermining the party, political analysts said, following his call for Umno to leave the Unity Government and revive cooperation with PAS.
Speaking to Scoop, analysts described Akmal’s remarks at the Umno Youth Convention as politically unrealistic and out of step with the thinking of the party’s top leadership, warning that such rhetoric could weaken Umno and further erode Barisan Nasional’s multiracial foundation.
Their comments came after Akmal suggested that Umno should reconsider its role in the Unity Government, arguing that Malay interests were being sidelined and that renewed ties with PAS could strengthen the party’s position.
Professor Syaza Shukri of the International Islamic University of Malaysia said there was little indication that Umno’s senior leadership was prepared to act on the proposal, noting that the party currently enjoyed influence and stability within the government.
Professor Syaza Shukri of the International Islamic University of Malaysia. – LinkedIn pic, January 6, 2026
“At the leadership level, the approach is to manage the narrative — they listen to grassroots views but do not act rashly by leaving the government,” she said.
Syaza said calls for closer Umno–PAS ties reflected persistent unease among Umno supporters over cooperation with Pakatan Harapan, but warned that the strategy carried clear trade-offs.
“While Umno and PAS could continue promoting the Malay agenda, Umno also risks being seen as unable to move beyond identity politics,” she said.
She added that any formal cooperation with PAS would fundamentally alter Barisan Nasional’s positioning.
“BN would increasingly be viewed as Malay-centric, rendering its other component parties irrelevant,” she said.
Syaza also cautioned that leaving the Unity Government would place Umno in direct competition with PAS for Malay support — a contest she said currently favoured PAS — even though such cooperation could reduce fragmentation of the Malay vote.
She noted that the Unity Government could still function with the backing of GPS and GRS, albeit with those blocs wielding greater influence.
“At the leadership level, the approach is to manage the narrative — they listen to grassroots views but do not act rashly by leaving the government,” she said.
Syaza said calls for closer Umno–PAS ties reflected persistent unease among Umno supporters over cooperation with Pakatan Harapan, but warned that the strategy carried clear trade-offs.
“While Umno and PAS could continue promoting the Malay agenda, Umno also risks being seen as unable to move beyond identity politics,” she said.
She added that any formal cooperation with PAS would fundamentally alter Barisan Nasional’s positioning.
“BN would increasingly be viewed as Malay-centric, rendering its other component parties irrelevant,” she said.
Syaza also cautioned that leaving the Unity Government would place Umno in direct competition with PAS for Malay support — a contest she said currently favoured PAS — even though such cooperation could reduce fragmentation of the Malay vote.
She noted that the Unity Government could still function with the backing of GPS and GRS, albeit with those blocs wielding greater influence.
Associate Professor Awang Azman Pawi of Universiti Malaya. – Sosial media pic, January 6, 2026
Associate Professor Awang Azman Pawi of Universiti Malaya urged Umno to adopt a rational and measured approach rather than respond to internal pressure or populist sentiment.
He described the proposal to exit the Unity Government as impractical, warning that it could jeopardise Umno’s efforts to rebuild and remain electorally viable.
“From a political realism standpoint, Umno Youth’s proposal to leave the Unity Government is impractical and almost impossible to implement,” Awang Azman said.
“There is no strong indication that the party president or the Supreme Council is prepared to support such a drastic move.”
Awang Azman also highlighted the risks of reviving Umno–PAS cooperation, citing past difficulties under Muafakat Nasional and PAS’s current political alignment.
“The Muafakat Nasional experience showed that clashes of ego, seat negotiations and differences in political culture are difficult to reconcile,” he said.
“Any unilateral shift towards Malay-Islam politics would weaken Barisan Nasional’s multiracial credentials and place MCA and MIC under serious pressure.”
Associate Professor Awang Azman Pawi of Universiti Malaya urged Umno to adopt a rational and measured approach rather than respond to internal pressure or populist sentiment.
He described the proposal to exit the Unity Government as impractical, warning that it could jeopardise Umno’s efforts to rebuild and remain electorally viable.
“From a political realism standpoint, Umno Youth’s proposal to leave the Unity Government is impractical and almost impossible to implement,” Awang Azman said.
“There is no strong indication that the party president or the Supreme Council is prepared to support such a drastic move.”
Awang Azman also highlighted the risks of reviving Umno–PAS cooperation, citing past difficulties under Muafakat Nasional and PAS’s current political alignment.
“The Muafakat Nasional experience showed that clashes of ego, seat negotiations and differences in political culture are difficult to reconcile,” he said.
“Any unilateral shift towards Malay-Islam politics would weaken Barisan Nasional’s multiracial credentials and place MCA and MIC under serious pressure.”
Senior political analyst Lau Zhe Wei of the International Islamic University of Malaysia. – Social media pic, January 6, 2026
Senior political analyst Lau Zhe Wei of the International Islamic University of Malaysia said Akmal’s remarks carried limited weight within Umno’s decision-making structure and were driven largely by personal political ambition.
“It is quite clear that he is making these statements to serve his own political agenda — nothing more than that,” Lau said, noting that Akmal was not part of the Cabinet.
Lau added that Umno Youth needed to recognise that contemporary politics was less about seat counts and more about influence and governance, arguing that Umno’s presence or absence in the Madani government would not fundamentally alter the current balance of power. – January 6, 2026
“It is quite clear that he is making these statements to serve his own political agenda — nothing more than that,” Lau said, noting that Akmal was not part of the Cabinet.
Lau added that Umno Youth needed to recognise that contemporary politics was less about seat counts and more about influence and governance, arguing that Umno’s presence or absence in the Madani government would not fundamentally alter the current balance of power. – January 6, 2026
No comments:
Post a Comment