“We must endeavour for unity as Malays with an open heart. If we keep talking about the past, then we cannot move forward,” he said at the Umno Youth general assembly today.
Akmal said since Umno had been able to put aside its grievances and work with DAP, it should similarly be willing to forgive and work with PAS.
“If you look at DAP, they used to attack us and they still attack us, but we cooperate with them. So why is it that we have Muslim brothers and sisters and yet we cannot work together?
“If we can cooperate with those who have been our enemies since independence, what more with those who are of the same race? Put your egos aside and let’s lift this party higher together,” he said.
The outgoing Melaka executive councillor also said he wanted to emphasise the idea of forging a common resolve between Umno and PAS.
He said other parties were welcome to join them, but that the focus should be on Malay unity.
Akmal acknowledged that some in Umno were angry at the idea of working with PAS again, but insisted that the youth wing had a bigger agenda.
He said Umno Youth would organise a major gathering this year to push the agenda of Malay unity.
“After this general assembly, Umno Youth will host a ‘Himpunan Tekad Ummah’, which will gather Malay political parties, Malay NGOs and Malay academics to discuss the interests of religion and race,” he said, adding that this would not be a “rally of hatred” but an event to raise awareness.
At a special Umno Youth convention on Jan 3, Akmal had called on the party to withdraw its support for the unity government and join the opposition, citing repeated violations of so-called red lines involving the 3R issues of race, religion and royalty.
However, Umno president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said the party would remain loyal to the unity government until the next general election.
Open Umno’s doors to those sacked, suspended from party
Speaking today, Akmal also urged Zahid to be open to reinstating the party memberships of those who had been sacked or suspended from Umno.
He said that before seeking to foster Malay unity beyond the party, Umno must close ranks internally.
“Before we talk about uniting the Malays outside, the Malays within Umno must unite. Umno must be strong and united internally.
“I would like to request that the Umno president open our doors to those who still love Umno. Although some were suspended, some sacked, and some have joined other parties, they still have the Umno spirit,” he said.
Prominent leaders who were sacked or suspended from Umno include Khairy Jamaluddin, Hishammuddin Hussein and Shahril Hamdan.
Umno must shrug off denial syndrome
Separately, Akmal said Umno must confront the present reality of its strength and shrug off the “denial syndrome” which he said had taken hold in the party.
“Whether you like it or not, we are facing a disease called denial syndrome. Some keep saying ‘Umno is fine’, when the reality on the ground is very different,” he said.
The Merlimau assemblyman said party leaders might feel secure with Umno being part of the government and boasted various positions, but cautioned that these factors did not guarantee political support.
Akmal said Umno’s position had weakened over the years, citing its performance in elections where the Barisan Nasional lynchpin had suffered heavy defeats in two back-to-back general elections, in 2018 and 2022.
“Even when we lost, we whispered to ourselves that everything was okay. But the reality at the grassroots level is very different.”