I’ll have more time to go down to the ground now, says Akmal

The Umno Youth chief justifies his decision to resign as an executive councillor in the Melaka government.

Umno Youth chief Dr Akmal Saleh said he would now have the time to check on ‘every Umno Youth division’ nationwide. (Bernama pic)

KUALA LUMPUR:

 Umno Youth chief Dr Akmal Saleh tonight justified his decision to quit as an executive councillor in the Melaka government, saying it would provide him with more time to go down to the ground.

Akmal said without a post in the state government, he would be able to check on “every Umno Youth division (nationwide)”.

“We will check one by one to ensure preparations for the next general election are more organised and God willing, we will be able to ensure Umno becomes dominant once more,” he said in his winding up speech.

Akmal also vowed to produce more leaders to attack the party’s rivals.

“Now that I have stepped down as an exco member, I pledge to nurture over 300,000 ‘Akmal Saleh’s’ to demolish you,” he said, alluding to the party’s rivals.

This evening, Umno Supreme Council member Puad Zarkashi described Akmal’s planned resignation, which the latter claimed would enable him to “fight DAP to the end”, as unnecessary.

Puad said taking on DAP was not a “full time” commitment that would require Akmal to resign from the state post.

“Melaka is a Barisan Nasional (BN)-led government. Resigning as an exco in a BN-led government is not the same as leaving a Pakatan Harapan-led government,” he said in a Facebook post.

Puad also said Akmal’s decision to step down as a state exco member did not carry as much weight as resigning from the post of party youth chief over calls for Umno to quit the unity government.

Akmal had earlier today announced his resignation as the Melaka executive councillor in charge of rural development, agriculture and food security. His resignation will take effect next week.

Melaka chief minister Ab Rauf Yusoh later said he respected Akmal’s decision to resign from his post in the state government but would wait for an official letter before deciding whether to accept it.

Last week, Akmal – who has frequently locked horns with DAP leaders over various issues – said it was perhaps time to “step aside” after party president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi rejected his call for Umno to leave the government and revive its cooperation with PAS under Muafakat Nasional. - FMT