Kota Kinabalu: Sabah Umno Youth has thrown its support behind president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi amid a call for the party leader to resign from the top post.
The state youth leader Abdul Aziz Julkarnain credited Zahid as a transformational figurehead in the party after empowering the youth and women’s wings.
He said more youth members are in the Umno Supreme Council now while the Wanita chief’s status was also elevated to the same level as the deputy president – something never done before under previous leaderships.
“Most of all, the president has given us, Sabah Umno, the autonomy to set our own direction,” he said. “The autonomy works and now we are part of the (Sabah) government. And we will thrive on making Sabah Umno as relevant as ever.”
Earlier today, Pontian Umno Youth chief Mohd Helmi Buang called on Zahid to resign, citing the need for new blood in leadership positions. He also urged long-serving party veterans to step aside.
Aziz said party members should give Zahid a chance to completely transform Umno, adding everyone should respect and honour the party’s constitution.
He said Zahid was elected president through a legitimate election and that anyone can try to unseat him through a similar process in the party election this year if they wished to.
“Asking him to step down will not solve anything but promote more factions in the party. After all, the president doesn’t have absolute power as we still have the Supreme Council for check and balance.
“If we are disputing the president then we should ask all council members to step down.
“No one is perfect but Zahid is the right person at this time of adversity – he still has some pull and push strategies to show, have faith in him,” Aziz said.
