UMNO Youth Perak chief Mohd Ariff Abdul Majid said he was the lone voice who stood up for Ahmad Zahid Hamidi against calls by others in the wing’s leadership for the party president to go on leave until his criminal charges are settled.

Ariff said he had tried to defend Zahid, who is from Perak Umno and is the Bagan Datuk MP, but did not receive any support at the Youth exco meeting yesterday.

“Believe me, I tried as hard as I could to defend the institution of the president in the meeting. But I was the only one against the majority,” he said.

Ariff said he decided to keep quiet for the rest of the meeting after voicing his opinion as he did not want to complicate the situation, and wanted to respect the exco meeting.

He was commenting on Umno Youth Chief Asyraf Wajdi Dusuki’s announcement yesterday urging Zahid to step back from presidential duties until his 45 criminal charges are resolved.

Asyraf said all the wing’s exco members had supported the decision.

Ariff urged Umno Youth members in Perak who disagreed with the call for Zahid to step back to show their displeasure by boycotting a party retreat scheduled tomorrow.

A few Youth division leaders have already voiced their objections, saying that Zahid should not have to go on leave as he was innocent until proven guilty.

Asyraf has also been criticised by a strident Zahid defender, party Supreme Council member Lokman Noor Adam, for failing to stand up for the president.

Zahid was last week charged with 45 counts of criminal breach of trust, abuse of power and money laundering involving RM114 million.

The offences relate to misappropriation of funds from a charity of which he is a trustee and to receiving gratification in his former position as home minister. – October 26, 2018.