UMNO Youth chief Asyraf Wajdi Dasuki was “silenced” by the party Supreme Council as he attempted to table a proposal that the party president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi go on leave pending the disposal of his court case, said party sources.

Asyraf was not allowed to table the proposal in a meeting as the Supreme Council members felt the president stepping aside would only weaken the party. 

“Asyraf did raise the proposal from the Youth wing at the meeting but his speech was cut short by several Supreme Council members,” said the sources.

Asyraf was told the matter was not on the meeting agenda, said the sources.

“He just kept quiet after that.”

“These leaders felt it was unnecessary to bring up the issue as they felt it would only weaken the party. The meeting’s agenda only looked at things to further strengthen Umno,” a source told The Malaysian Insight.

Zahid told reporters after chairing the Supreme Council meeting that no one in the meeting, including those from Umno Youth, had asked him to go on leave to concentrate on his court cases.

The opposition leader said the Supreme Council had also decided to fight against all attempts from within and outside to break Umno.

“There was no discussion (on the leave proposal), although there were views shared. Not one of the Supreme Council members, including the Umno Youth chief (Dr Aysraf Wajdi Dusuki), asked me to go on leave.

“The Youth chief said the wing’s meeting only suggested it, for the Supreme Council and president to consider it,” said Zahid after the three-hour meeting at Umno headquarters.

There had been speculation that the meeting would discuss Zahid temporarily going on leave.

Zahid faces 45 charges of criminal breach of trust, bribery and money laundering, involving RM114 million. The funds allegedly belong to charity foundation, Yayasan Akalbudi, of which he is a trustee, and for projects awarded when he was home minister in the previous Barisan Nasional government.

The Youth wing had earlier proposed that Zahid go on leave until his cases in court were settled.

Another hot issue at the Supreme Council meeting was cooperation between Umno and other parties to form the government in the near future.

“This issue was raised but the Supreme Council did not want to discuss this in depth as the priority now was to strengthen Umno.

“We don’t have any interest in discussing with anyone the subject of forming a joint government for now,” said Supreme Council member Armand Azha Abu Hanifah.

He said talk of Umno joining forces with other parties to form a government had affected Umno’s standing and caused the party to be mocked.

“Talk of 40 of our MPs joining Pakatan Harapan parties… and then Dr Mahathir (Mohamad) and Anwar (Ibrahim) criticising Umno… we have our pride.

“We want to focus on strengthening our party and working hard towards GE15.” – November 10, 2018.