ALOR STAR: An Umno Youth leader has urged all of the party's 191 youth wing divisions to stand firm behind chief Dr Muhamad Akmal Saleh following his arrest earlier today.
Pokok Sena Umno Youth chief Mohd Farhan Ahmad stressed the necessity of respecting due process while affirming Akmal's commitment to the party's core principles.
"The struggles Akmal stands for, as the youth leader of our party, are deeply rooted in the Umno constitution, which prioritises Islam, Malays and the nation.
"Hence, Pokok Sena Umno Youth stands firmly behind Akmal. I urge all members of Umno Youth nationwide to stand firm behind Akmal," he said in a statement today.
Earlier, it was reported that Akmal, in a Facebook post, said he was being detained at the Kota Kinabalu district police headquarters.
Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Razarudin Husain confirmed that investigations against Akmal had been initiated under Section 4(1) of the Sedition Act 1948 and Section 233 of the Communications and Multimedia Act 1998. (hyperlink: https://www.nst.com.my/news/crime-courts/2024/04/1034567/umnos-akmal-bei...)
Akmal has since been released after providing his statement during a two-hour session at the district police headquarters.
Akmal has been vocal in calling for action and a boycott against KK Mart over the "Allah" socks controversy, and there were recent calls for his arrest over a social media post showing him wielding a Japanese sword.
On Wednesday, Razarudin said there were no investigations into Dr Akmal as no report had been lodged against him.
However, several parties, including former law minister Datuk Zaid Ibrahim and human rights group Lawyers for Liberty, had questioned the necessity for a report to be lodged for the police to act.
His Majesty Sultan Ibrahim, King of Malaysia, had also urged all parties to cease exploiting the issue and inciting anger, emphasising that action had already been taken by the authorities.
Razarudin also urged all parties to refrain from speculating about the socks issue as the case had been prosecuted in court.
Farhan said other parties should be more accepting of Umno Youth's stance on the issue, even those critical of Akmal.
"I urge critics to familiarise themselves with the Umno constitution before questioning Akmal's position."
He also called on the government to consider the concerns of the Muslim majority alongside other groups.
"Alhamdulillah, to date, Umno Youth has remained law-abiding. Our activities during Ramadan have been focused on community and religious initiatives, devoid of racial incidents or crimes against KK Mart."