Umno Youth not banned from talking about Najib, denies opposition's claim

Umno Youth today denied the opposition’s claim that it is banned from talking about former prime minister Najib Razak.

Its chief Akmal Saleh said there was no obstacle in how Umno Youth raises issues related to Najib, especially regarding the alleged addendum in the former Umno president’s royal pardon.

“There is no prohibition to raise the issue of bosku (Najib). Pahang Umno Youth even raised the issue of the royal pardon addendum among others.

“I think there are no obstacles and we are free to say anything,” he said in Gua Musang, Kelantan.

PAS information chief Ahmad Fadhli Shaari previously claimed that Umno chief Ahmad Zahid Hamidi prohibited his party’s youth wing from raising the issue of cancelling the ban on the “Belt and Road Initiative for Win-Winism” comic book.

When campaigning in Nenggiri recently, Fadhli claimed Zahid reminded Umno Youth to focus on bigger issues, adding that talking about the royal pardon addendum is insulting to Najib and his family.

Najib is currently serving his six-year prison sentence, which has been slashed from 12 years due to a Pardons Board decision, following his conviction in the RM42 million SRC International corruption case in connection with the 1Malaysia Development Berhad scandal.

The addendum Akmal referred to is a purported supplementary order by the previous Agong, which would allow Najib to serve the remainder of his jail term under house arrest.

‘Free to criticise’

Akmal also insisted on Umno Youth’s freedom to speak on and criticise anything within the public’s interests.

“That is Umno Youth, we are free to criticise DAP, we are free to criticise PAS, we are even free to criticise our own leaders.

“That’s why our Umno Youth members must have a system of checks and balances... I hope, God willing, that we are not people who get pushed around,” he said.

On July 7, the Kuala Lumpur High Court dismissed Najib’s legal action over the alleged addendum order, ruling that all the affidavits claiming the existence of the royal addendum amounted to mere hearsay.

The former premier has turned to the Court of Appeal to enforce the alleged addendum, with Oct 7 set for case management.

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