PUTRAJAYA: Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Law and Institutional Reform) Datuk Seri Azalina Othman Said has advised caution over a proposal by Umno Youth for the party to leave the unity government, questioning the methodology of a survey cited by its chief, Datuk Dr Muhamad Akmal Saleh.
Azalina said she found it unclear how the survey was conducted, including whether it involved elected representatives or grassroots members.
“I do not know who was surveyed. I heard it involved 1,800 respondents but I don’t know whether Members of Parliament, state assemblymen or ordinary members were interviewed,” she said during a press conference here on Monday (Jan 5).
According to Azalina, who is also Umno’s information chief, the matter would be discussed at the Umno political bureau meeting scheduled on Monday (Jan 5) at 4pm.
She said Umno vice-president Datuk Seri Mohamed Khaled Nordin had also described Akmal’s proposal as a personal view.
“Let us wait for the four o’clock meeting,” Azalina said.
Drawing an analogy, Azalina said major decisions should not be rushed.
“If people want to divorce or reconcile, there is a period of ‘iddah. You cannot say today you want to separate when the decision was already made yesterday. Such matters must be stated clearly and discussed properly, including with the family,” she said.
Azalina said Umno, founded in 1946, has weathered many challenges and that its leadership has the wisdom to deliberate through established party mechanisms.
She said discussions would begin at the political bureau, followed by the Umno General Assembly next week on Jan 14, stressing that consultation has always been part of Umno’s culture.
“I think Umno has always practised consultation. Even though not all Umno members appear overtly religious, there are Malay and Islamic cultural values that we uphold,” she added.
On Saturday (Jan 3), Akmal said Umno Youth would propose that the party leave the unity government and instead work with Pas to form what he described as a “dignified opposition,” stressing that the move was not intended to topple the government through backdoor manoeuvres.
He said the proposal, raised at a special Umno Youth convention attended by about 1,500 delegates, would be brought to the Umno Supreme Council and later to the general assembly as a resolution.
