Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi should first clear his name through the courts before aspiring to become Malaysia’s 11th Prime Minister after the 16th General Election (GE16), says Angkatan Muda Keadilan (AMK) Malaysia information chief Danish Hairuddin.
Danish said the public was still aware of the ongoing legal process surrounding the decision to grant the UMNO president a discharge not amounting to an acquittal (DNAA) in his Yayasan Akalbudi case.
He said the Federal Court is scheduled to hear on Oct 8 an application by Zahid and the Attorney General for leave to appeal in proceedings related to the Malaysian Bar’s challenge against the decision.
“I do not want to pre-empt the court and we must respect the legal process.
“But if there is indeed an ambition to become Prime Minister, I think it would be better for all questions still hanging over the integrity of a leader to first be resolved through the legal channels,” he said in a statement today.
Danish said AMK respected the right of any political party to determine its preferred candidate for prime minister.
However, he said Malaysia ultimately needed a prime minister who not only had the political support to govern but also the confidence of the people to lead the country.
He added that deciding who should be nominated as prime minister after the next general election was the right of individual parties and political coalitions, and there was no need to pre-empt the voters’ decision.
“However, anyone aspiring to lead the country must understand that the position of Prime Minister is not merely about having political support. It also raises questions about integrity, public confidence and Malaysia’s image in the eyes of the world,” he said.
Danish also cited former UMNO leader Khairy Jamaluddin’s description of Zahid’s speech as that of a “prime minister in waiting”, saying this made it reasonable for questions surrounding Zahid’s integrity to receive a clear resolution through the legal process.
“When Khairy Jamaluddin himself described the UMNO president’s speech as the speech of a ‘prime minister in waiting’, then I think it is also reasonable for questions about integrity that remain a concern to the public to be given a clear resolution through the legal process,” he said.
At the UMNO General Assembly 2026, Zahid reiterated his call for GE16 to be held earlier, saying he was confident the party could ride the “blue wave” to secure a fresh mandate to form the government.
