KUALA LUMPUR: Umno Youth chief Dr Muhammad Akmal Saleh's recent statements against the party leadership should be seen positively as it was a call for the party to move forward after its state polls defeat.
Party leaders said it was Umno's collective responsibility to improve following Barisan Nasional's dismal performance in the Aug 12 election.
They said it was not the time for anyone in Umno to call for a leader's resignation.
When commenting on Dr Akmal's criticism of the party leadership, Umno supreme council member Datuk Dr Mohd Puad Zarkashi said the movement should "walk the talk" instead of merely voicing their views about wanting leaders to step down.
He urged for Umno Youth to be more aggressive in its efforts to rejuvenate the wing and the entire party.
"I fully support them if they want to stand on their own feet. (Umno Youth) must be aggressive in capturing the hearts of young voters, fighting the propaganda of our political rivals and fighting for the Malay Agenda.
"No one should step down. Umno must take collective responsibility. This is not the time to blame and point fingers at each other," Puad told the New Sunday Times.
Dr Akmal told party leaders to make changes following the party's less-than-stellar performance in the recent state elections.
When speaking at a post-mortem of the party's election results on Friday, he said Umno would be "buried" if its leaders remained passive. Dr Akmal also said the wing would turn "aggressive" if their pleas were ignored by the leadership.
Umno Youth permanent chairman Wan Agyl Wan Hassan defended Dr Akmal's statement saying that the latter wanted the party to change for the better.
"He is calling for a deep review of the party's election strategies and it shows that he is serious about understanding and fixing the issues."