Amorim and United have parted ways, quo vadis Akmal of Umno?

Manchester United’s sacking of its head coach sends a clear signal about the need for organisational discipline when faced with internal disagreements.

On Monday, Manchester United sacked head coach Ruben Amorim after just 14 months in charge.

Taking the Red Devils back up the English Premier League table to sixth and putting it within touching distance of a Champions League spot next season was apparently not enough to satisfy the club’s management.

Amorim was shown the door, joining a long list of high-profile managers who have led the club in recent years, including Jose Mourinho and Louis van Gaal.

The episode demonstrated once again that the club will not hesitate to wield the axe on those who have failed to meet set objectives.

That was the story several thousand kilometres away in Manchester, England.

Meanwhile, in Malaysia, politics has been just as turbulent, with sackings and resignation threats dominating the headlines.

In a social media post published two days ago and featuring photos from Umno Youth’s special convention held last weekend, Dr Akmal Saleh hinted that the time may have come for him to step aside.

The post was widely read as signalling his intention to relinquish the Umno Youth chief’s post he has held since March 2023.

Akmal was likely reacting to criticism that came his way after publicly urging that Umno quit the unity government and align with PAS under the Muafakat Nasional platform.

Umno president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, however, instantly shut him down, insisting that the party would remain in the unity government.

One day later, Akmal wrote: “We have done our utmost and conveyed our message as clearly as we could. Perhaps the shortcomings are my own. Perhaps it is time for me to step aside. My thanks go to all who have cared for this struggle.”

Akmal should consider himself fortunate that Zahid granted him the right to be heard, with the matter openly discussed at an Umno political bureau meeting attended by the party’s top leadership.

Although many considered his call brash and divisive, Akmal was not asked to relinquish his office.

This despite him flouting two ground rules set for the convention — that there should be no call for Umno to exit the unity government, and that there be no attack on Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim.

Despite this, Akmal used the convention to urge Umno’s withdrawal from government, citing repeated violations of the party’s ‘red lines’ on race, religion and royalty — the 3Rs.

In the face of that, Umno’s inaction has been striking, especially given its recent record of disciplining members perceived to have crossed the line — even those among its top leaders.

The most notable examples include former Umno Youth chief Khairy Jamaluddin, former secretary-general Annuar Musa, and former Supreme Council member Noh Omar after the 15th general election — all sacked for criticising the party’s leadership.

Even Hishammuddin Hussein, a former vice-president and grandson of Umno founder Onn Jaafar, was not spared and had his membership suspended for six years, a decision he continues to question to this very day.

Amorim’s sacking shows that in large organisations, sackings are less about individuals than about safeguarding a clear and consistent direction.

Manchester United appears to have prioritised the continuity of its vision over granting its head coach more time, even though its sporting performance did not appear to be failing entirely.

The lesson for Umno is that organisational discipline must be anchored in strategic goals, not swayed by emotion, internal pressure, or short-term perceptions.

In this context, Umno must demonstrate maturity by managing differing opinions — including those voiced by the party’s younger leaders — according to entrenched principles of collective leadership and party discipline.

If disciplinary action is called for, it should be premised on clear guidelines understood by all and applied consistently, not selectively or in a reactionary manner.

Like elite football clubs, Umno’s survival depends not on any single individual, but on firm, fair leadership anchored in clarity of purpose.

As a young leader with a long political career ahead of him, Akmal has every right to speak boldly, but must remain mindful of timing, context, and the party’s power structures.

He should also uphold party discipline and demonstrate the capacity to negotiate solutions on contentious issues.

Unfortunately, his penchant for stoking controversy has left him isolated this time, with no support forthcoming from within the party.

That is likely why he has hinted at stepping down.

Amorim and Manchester United have parted ways, but what will become of Akmal in Umno? - FMT

The writer is the editor of FMT’s Malay News Desk.

This article represents the writer’s opinion and does not necessarily reflect FMT/MMKtT’s position.