KUALA LUMPUR: Uniting the ummah did not result from the recent Johor and Negri Sembilan state polls but is based on principles Umno has constantly upheld, says its Youth wing chief Datuk Dr Muhammad Akmal Saleh.
He said Umno held onto these principles even when there was nothing to show for it.
Dr Akmal also urged the party to look past any differences, including those with PAS.
"Yes, there have been matters which previously hurt us, but the bigger goal is uniting the ummah.
"We should not think of the past, but instead, the impact of us being distant from one another," he said in his speech at the wing’s annual general assembly here on Thursday (Sept 10).
He also dispelled allegations that Umno was "politically flirtatious" with other parties.
"We are looking at common points of others that share our struggles.
"We do not have to be like PAS, and PAS can remain PAS.
"Mature unity allows us to manage differences with wisdom," he said.
Dr Akmal also said the wing would continue to defend efforts to unite the ummah.
He acknowledged that such cooperation generated feelings of jealousy, slander and insults among others.
"They even drew caricatures of me. You can do whatever you want, but I will never back down," he said, noting that the stronger this unity grows, the more oppression it will face from others.
He also said uniting the ummah and upholding the interests of Malays did not mean oppressing non-Malays.
"Barisan Nasional is living proof of this. MCA has never lost its Chinese identity nor has MIC lost its identity.
"The same goes for PBRS. Umno upholds its principles but never infringes upon those of others," he said.
Dr Akmal said other communities also wanted a sense of unity.
"Unity cannot stop at the political level. We speak about uniting the ummah, which is fundamental, but this is not enough.
"It must be seen to be reflected among the rakyat," he said.
