Umno Youth demands DAP apology, open to apologising with solid reason
The leader of Umno Youth, Dr Muhamad Akmal Saleh, has stated that the party would only consider apologising to the Democratic Action Party (DAP) if there was a valid reason to do so. He added that Umno Youth does not intend to withdraw its demand for an apology from DAP, as the gesture holds significance for their party members.
Dr Akmal said during a press conference at the Umno General Assembly 2023, “It is actually a good thing if they demand an apology from us too. However, they must have a good and solid reason to do so.”
In response to DAP secretary-general Anthony Loke’s call for Umno Youth to move on from the past, Dr Akmal said the party had already done so. He explained, “Don’t get me wrong. We have moved on. I even texted Kelvin Yii to discuss how Barisan Nasional (BN) Youth and Pakatan Harapan (PH) Youth will work together for the upcoming state elections.”
Dr Akmal further clarified that some grassroots members had expressed concerns, wanting DAP to apologise to clear the air, as both Umno and DAP will be working together. “It is only right for them to do so,” he added.
On June 8, Dr Akmal made a controversial demand for DAP to apologise for its previous attacks on Umno during a policy speech at the Umno General Assembly 2023. He insisted that DAP should apologise for its purported past mistakes and demonstrate its sincerity to the coalition government led by PKR’s Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, which includes PH and BN component parties, Gabungan Parti Sarawak, and Gabungan Bersatu Sabah.
Umno president Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi quickly dismissed the need for DAP to apologise, stating that the matter should not be raised again by his party. However, Dr Akmal remained firm on his demand, and later that day, Umno deputy president Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan supported Umno Youth’s controversial request for an apology from DAP.
Yesterday, Loke urged Umno Youth to heed Zahid’s call to put aside the two parties’ hostile past for the sake of the nation. Earlier today, Mohamad expressed hope that the apology demanded by Dr Akmal would not cause divisions within the federal coalition government.
