KUALA LUMPUR — Umno Youth chief Dr Akmal Saleh appeared unfazed after DAP’s Penang youth wing urged the party’s national leadership to end political cooperation with him.
Akmal, facing criticism over his role in a protest linked to an upside-down national flag in Penang, dared DAP to “bring it on”, saying such a move would amount to cutting ties with Umno Youth — and ultimately Umno itself.
“Breaking ties with me = breaking ties with the Umno Youth member = breaking ties with Umno. Ok, bring it on,” he wrote.
Penang DAP Socialist Youth accused Akmal of conduct that ran counter to the Unity Government’s commitment to diversity, alleging he had stoked racial sentiments and undermined public trust in the government’s ability to maintain stability.
It also claimed he was acting as a tool of opposition coalition Perikatan Nasional to disrupt the government’s administration.
DAP’s national leadership echoed the criticism, with secretary-general Anthony Loke describing Akmal’s actions as intimidation of a trader and a subversion of the rule of law.
The row stems from an incident in Kepala Batas, Penang, where a 59-year-old hardware shop owner was investigated after the national flag was found hanging upside down outside his premises.
The man said it was an unintentional mistake while measuring a flagpole, which he corrected soon after.
Police had called for the cancellation of a planned gathering in Bertam to avoid clashes between opposing groups.
Despite this, Umno Youth went ahead with the protest, drawing hundreds of supporters, alongside a counter-demonstration by rights group Lawyers for Liberty. — August 15, 2025