Deputy Prime Minister and UMNO President, Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, is expected to announce the formation of a new organization outside the political sphere during the closing day of the UMNO General Assembly (PAU) this Saturday.
Ahmad Zahid, who also serves as Deputy Prime Minister, said the proposal for the organization was his own initiative.
“The Cabinet has also approved it, and I will make the announcement on the final day of PAU,” he told reporters after the closing ceremony of the Malaysian Islamic Scholars’ Multaqa at the World Trade Centre Kuala Lumpur (WTCKL) on Tuesday. The event was attended by UMNO Secretary-General Datuk Dr Asyraf Wajdi Dusuki.
The panel discussion at the multaqa featured prominent Islamic scholars, including Federal Territories Mufti Datuk Dr Ahmad Fauwaz Fadzil, Perlis Mufti Datuk Dr Mohd Asri Zainul Abidin, and Deputy Dean of the Faculty of Shariah and Law at Universiti Sains Islam Malaysia (USIM), Prof Madya Dr Abdul Manan Ismail.
Ahmad Zahid also did not rule out the possibility of inviting scholars and representatives from other political parties, including PAS, to future editions of the Multaqa.
“This is the first time the event has been held since I took over leadership in 2018, and our strategic collaboration with the Malaysian Islamic Scholars Foundation is an effort to set aside political ideologies. When discussing religion, we must unify thought and action, and we are open to doing so,” he said.
In his speech, Ahmad Zahid emphasized the need for a balanced relationship between the umara (rulers) and ulama (Islamic scholars) to ensure governance is conducted based on trust, knowledge, wisdom, and prudence.
He added that dialogue between rulers and scholars is essential to align administrative realities with religious obligations, ensuring decisions are not driven by emotions or narrow political interests.
Ahmad Zahid, who also serves as Minister of Rural Development, noted that while Muslims today are increasingly vocal, there is a decline in wisdom and decorum, with a tendency to politicize religion, which risks creating division.
Referring to a statement by the late PAS spiritual leader, Tan Sri Nik Abdul Aziz Nik Mat, Ahmad Zahid said he regards the remark—that PAS would dissolve if UMNO made Islam a constitutional foundation—as a form of legacy.
“When the late Tok Guru Nik Aziz mentioned this, I considered it a will. The first action I took after assuming UMNO leadership was to enshrine Islam in the party constitution. PAS has not dissolved yet, but I believe it will eventually do so naturally,” he said.
