UMNO Youth Chief Rejects Dr Mahathir’s Invitation to Join New Malay Political Movement

KUALA LUMPUR, June 9 – UMNO Youth Chief Datuk Dr Muhamad Akmal Saleh has firmly rejected Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad’s invitation to join a newly formed political movement, citing the former prime minister’s past attempt to dissolve UMNO.

The invitation was linked to Dr Mahathir’s “Sekretariat Orang Melayu”, a political coalition he claims was established to restore Malay political dominance in the country. While Mahathir did not extend the invitation to UMNO as a party, he openly welcomed individual UMNO members to join the initiative.

Despite the gesture, Muhamad Akmal said UMNO cannot overlook the fact that Dr Mahathir had once tried to ban the party during his time in power.

“We appreciate the offer, but we cannot forget that the same individual once attempted to outlaw UMNO,” Akmal said.

He further stressed that any genuine effort to unite the Malay community must be rooted in sincerity, driven by a love for religion and race, rather than personal ambition or a desire for political power.

“The desire to unite Malays must come from an honest place, not from self-interest or political calculation,” he added.

Dr Mahathir has previously stated that his new secretariat does not formally invite UMNO as an organization, but is open to individual participation from its members. He argues that the Malay political influence in the current government has weakened significantly and needs to be restored.

The rejection by UMNO’s youth wing signals ongoing tensions and deep mistrust between current party leadership and the statesman who once led the party but has since become a vocal critic.

— Agency