The UMNO Youth Movement (Malay: Pergerakan Pemuda UMNO; Jawi: ڤرڬرقن ڤمودا امنو) or more known simply as UMNO Youth is the youth wing of Malaysia's grand old party the United Malays National Organisation. Primarily for members aged 18 to 40, the goal of its establishment is to represent Malay and Bumiputera male youths. Since March 2023, the current UMNO Youth Chief is Merlimau state assemblyman (MLA) Muhamad Akmal Saleh.[5]
The youth wing of UMNO are separated with the women's youth wing or Puteri UMNO as well as the student wing of the party which is UMNOSiswa.[6]
History
Establishment
With the party's mission to liberate the nation from British colonialism,[7] UMNO's machinery was enhanced, one of which was the foundation of a youth wing on August 26, 1949, in Butterworth, Penang. The conference chose Captain Hussein Onn as the first youth chief and named it "Perikatan Pemuda UMNO".[8] After Hussein was appointed UMNO Secretary-General in August 1950, the leadership was passed on to Abdul Razak Hussein.[9]
Mission
The UMNO Youth Movement was established after the party felt that the youth wing needed to have its own organization as a backup line for the UMNO leadership. Before being eligible and prepared to lead the entire division, members must first be active within the youth levels of the party as a sign to test their leadership at an early age amongst grassroot members. Hence, the position of UMNO youths is like "a party within a party". Sensitive issues are often voiced by youth because youths are "hot-blooded" and more "determined".[10]
Leadership
Hierarchy
The UMNO Youth is led by the youth chief, followed by the vice youth chief and 20 youth executive committee members or "EXCOs" which all are elected through UMNO party elections. The youth chief would then have the executive power to appoint the secretary, treasurer, information chief, executive secretary and up to 15 youth EXCOs.[11] There are other positions such as permanent chairman and deputy permanent chairman who holds less executive power within the youth wing where they are in charge of chairing the annual UMNO grand national assembly or Perhimpunan Agung UMNO for the youth wing.
All of the positions mentioned are apparent in various levels, which it can be present at branch level (Malay: Cawangan), followed with divisional (Malay: Bahagian), to state (Malay: Negeri), and finally national (Malay: Pusat). Oftentimes, most national youth leaders hold divisional posts. For example, Muhamad Akmal Saleh and Nazif Najib are both division heads of their respective constituencies, and various national youth EXCOs are also youth division heads. In order to hold divisional, state or national level positions, all youth leaders must first hold branch level positions beforehand.[12][13]
Current leadership
The list below shows the current 2023/2026 UMNO Youth leadership.[14][15][16]
^Helen Ting. "The Politics of National Identity in West Malaysia: Continued Mutation or Critical Transition? [The Politics of Ambiguity]"(PDF). Southeast Asian Studies, Kyoto University. J-Stage. p. 3/21 [33] and 5/21 [35]. UMNO came into being in 1946 under the impetus of the Anti-Malayan Union Movement based on this ideological understanding of ketuanan Melayu. Its founding president, Dato' Onn Jaafar, once said that the UMNO movement did not adhere to any ideology other than Melayuisme, defined by scholar Ariffin Omar as "the belief that the interests of the bangsa Melayu must be upheld over all else". Malay political dominance is a fundamental reality of Malaysian politics, notwithstanding the fact that the governing coalition since independence, the Alliance [subsequently expanded to form the Barisan Nasional or literally, the "National Front"], is multiethnic in its composition.
^Jan Senkyr (2013). "Political Awakening in Malaysia". KAS International Reports (7): 73–74. the UMNO can be described as a national conservative Islamic party
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
