KUALA LUMPUR: Party wing leaders across the unity government coalition have been urged to avoid emotional or speculative responses over electoral seat talks, says Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi.
The Umno president stated that such matters should be left to the discretion of the party’s top leadership.
Responding to criticism from Umno Youth chief Dr Akmal Saleh over recent seat-sharing discussions, Zahid said party wings — including Umno Youth and its counterparts in Amanah — should refrain from making premature statements based on personal perspectives or analysis.
"I advise all wings of parties within the unity government to let these matters be determined by their respective top leaderships.
"Do not be swayed by emotions or individual interpretations. Leave it to the leadership," he told reporters at the World Trade Centre on Sunday (May 11).
Zahid stressed that senior leaders from the unity government regularly hold discussions and negotiations, and that the issue at hand had not yet been raised officially.
"This has not even been discussed at our level, so it should not be an issue raised by Umno Youth or Amanah Youth.
"Frankly, I believe this is far too premature to be turned into a political polemic," he added.
Zahid’s remarks come in the wake of a dispute between Umno Youth chief Dr Muhamad Akmal Saleh and Amanah Youth leaders over proposed seat allocations in the upcoming Melaka state election.
Akmal had rejected a proposal for an equal 14-14 seat split between Barisan Nasional and Pakatan Harapan, labelling it as unrealistic given Barisan’s previous dominance in the state.
In response, Amanah Youth criticised Akmal’s stance, describing it as arrogant and not reflective of the Unity Government’s spirit of cooperation.
They urged him to retract his statement and called for discussions to be conducted with mutual respect and understanding.
