THE 2025 Umno General Assembly opens today at the World Trade Centre under a cloud of internal unrest, making it the most volatile gathering the party has faced in more than a decade.
While the sea of baju Melayu project an image of unity, the undercurrents suggest a party on fire — caught in a high-stakes tug-of-war between its past, its present and a very uncertain future.
For president Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, this could be more than a routine assembly; it is a battle for the soul of the party. The central question looming over the delegates is one of loyalty.
Does Zahid’s primary allegiance lie with his predecessor, Datuk Seri Najib Razak or with his current partner in government, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim?
Zahid’s biggest challenge this week doesn't come from the Opposition, but from within his own Youth wing led by the vocal Datuk Dr Muhamad Akmal Saleh, who has effectively seized control of Umno’s traditional Malay supremacy narrative.
By positioning himself as the ‘bridge’ to the grassroots, Dr Akmal has filled a leadership vacuum on the issue that matters most to the rank-and-file, the incarceration of Najib.
A senior delegate said the prevailing view is that Zahid has not fully spent his political capital to push for Najib’s house arrest, while Dr Akmal — a staunch ‘Bossku’ loyalist — is widely seen as the only figure prepared to fight openly for it.
The friction deepened after remarks by DAP leaders Yeo Bee Yin and Tony Pua on Najib’s legal setbacks, with Umno grassroots viewing the leadership’s failure to respond forcefully as a slight to their dignity.
Speculation is rife that this assembly will see a ‘breakaway’ sentiment reach a boiling point. Many delegates are arriving in Kuala Lumpur with a list of grievances regarding Umno’s role in the unity government.
“Conversations of Umno leaving the unity government and reviving Muafakat Nasional (MN) with Pas have dominated our chat groups.
“There is a growing feeling that this cooperation (in the unity government) is not beneficial to Umno. Positions are dominated by Pakatan Harapan and in places like Wilayah and Negeri Sembilan, our representation is practically invisible,” said a delegate from Wilayah Persekutuan.
While the rhetoric on the floor might be aggressive, political analysts suggest that the actual outcome of the assembly will be far more controlled.
Political analyst Amir Fareed Rahim believes that despite the internal fallout from Najib’s court decisions, Zahid remains in firm control of the party machinery.
“The General Assembly will likely be carefully choreographed. Speeches and resolutions will be calibrated to reinforce party discipline and project stability. The leadership is expected to steer discussions away from open rebellion and towards a narrative focused on consolidation, survival and long-term relevance within the government,” Amir, who is the KRA group strategy director, said.
Amir notes that while segments of the grassroots will undoubtedly call for a return to Pas under the MN banner, a formal rupture remains unlikely. Instead, he said the assembly will reflect a party “managing internal pressures rather than resolving them”.
Beyond the internal drama, the assembly must also address Umno’s dwindling electoral viability. Following a poor showing in the recently concluded Sabah state election and looming contests in Melaka and Johor, the party is desperate to win back the Malay heartland.
Amir said the focus is likely to shift towards substantive policy aimed at rebuilding Malay trust, including calls to overhaul the Majlis Amanah Rakyat (Mara) Act to empower the next generation, strengthen Bumiputera business equity and participation and prioritise rural infrastructure to reassure the party’s traditional base that remaining in the unity government can still deliver tangible results.
Will this assembly be the moment Umno finally “equalises” its position within the government or will it be another year of Zahid’s camp playing it safe? If the leadership waters down the Youth wing’s demands too much, they risk further alienating a grassroots that is already looking towards the door. However, if they lean too far into the breakaway rhetoric, they risk destabilising the very government they currently help lead.
Ultimately, this assembly is less about dramatic exits and more about power calibration. Umno is not yet ready to leap on their own, but it is clearly testing the ground beneath its feet.
Zahid’s leadership will hinge on his ability to convince delegates that staying within the unity government still serves Umno’s survival and dignity.
Dr Akmal’s campaign has struck a nerve, yet the question remains whether it can mature into actual leverage or fade once the most powerful party members are on the ground during the assembly. Without structural shifts or political wins, rhetoric risks turning stale — no matter how loud it sounds.
For now, Umno remains suspended between defiance and dependence managing its internal fires while carefully avoiding a blaze that could consume both the party and the government it helps sustain.