00:00An UMNO leader said the party set two conditions when Dr. Akmal Saleh was given the go-ahead to organise the UMNO Youth Convention last Saturday.
00:10The leader, who did not wish to be named, said one condition was to refrain from discussing a withdrawal from the unity government,
00:17while the other was that there would not be any criticisms of Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim.
00:22The source said that the issues Akmal raised at the convention, such as UMNO leaving the government,
00:30realigning with past or shifting its political allegiance, were never discussed with party president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi,
00:37who does not endorse, approve or even entertain such ideas.
00:42When opening the convention, Akmal claimed that the assembly had been approved by Zahid and that Zahid had told him
00:48he would back calls by grassroots members to exit the unity government.
00:54Another UMNO insider said that although Zahid approved the convention,
00:59he never indicated that UMNO was prepared to quit the unity government or endorsed its resolutions,
01:05adding that any such decision rests with UMNO's Supreme Council.
01:10Yesterday, Barisan Nacional Secretary-General Zambri Khadir said any proposals made at the UMNO Youth Convention,
01:16including those concerning the party's position in the unity government,
01:21would have to be decided by the Supreme Council.
01:24Panyu Jun, FMT.
