Akhramsyah wants UMNO Youth return to original struggle

Candidate for the UMNO Youth chief post, Akhramsyah Muammar Ubaidah Sanusi, wants the movement to return to its original struggle, claiming that it had strayed in the last five years.

"I struggle for the Malay agenda based on Islam. In the last five years, however, the movement mainly organised activities. As inheritors of the party, UMNO Youth should be a vocal pressure group.

"I am open to the challenge of returning UMNO Youth to its original struggle," he said when met in Alor Setar, Friday at the introduction session for the Wanita, Youth and Puteri candidates contesting in the party elections on Saturday and on Oct 19.

Besides Akhramsyah, the three others challenging the incumbent, Khairy Jamaluddin Abu Bakar, are Syed Rosli Syed Harman, Irwan Ambak Khalid Izhar and Abd Karim Ali.

Akhramsyah said he did not want to see the young sidelined in their own country due to their weak struggle.

He cited an example where UMNO Youth was too meek over the issue of the use of the word 'Allah' in the Bahasa Malaysia version of the Bible.

"UMNO Youth should have been a pressure group on this issue so that the religious rights of the Malays are not taken lightly by non-Muslims," he said.

On his chances in the UMNO Youth election, Akhramsyah said although the incumbent had the edge, he was still confident after meeting many youth delegates.

He hoped the introduction period for the party election candidates in future would be longer for the delegates to get to know the new faces better.