Umno acting deputy president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi’s proposal to formalise his position under the party constitution should not be misconstrued as a self-serving gesture, said party secretary-general Tengku Adnan Tengku Mansor.

He said Zahid’s suggestion has merit, but more importantly, the proposal would be vetted by the party first as with any proposed constitutional amendment or any important party business.

“This means it would be put through the party’s internal processes as usual, whenever any amendment to any important matter in the Umno constitution is proposed.

“Thus the deputy prime minister's statement should not be made the subject of polemics by anyone, because it is clear (what he meant),” he said in a statement today.