KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 1 — Umno supreme council member Datuk Armand Azha Abu Hanifah is bidding for the party Youth chief post in its upcoming internal election.

Armand said the wing is playing it too safe and is no longer progressive, Utusan Malaysia reported today.

"Today's [Umno] Youth are too apologetic. The Youth have to be firm [and] bold in addition to stating their position, because today's Youth if they are afraid to make a statement because they are afraid of being imprisoned and so on, they cannot. We have to defend the principles, I was locked up for defending the party.

"I have been in Umno with various leaders, both Datuk Seri Najib Razak and Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi. I was also born from the Youth factory under Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein and Khairy Jamaluddin.

"So I will combine all of them to bring the voice of the Youth so that it becomes a policy in the supreme council so that it is accepted by the party leadership,” he was quoted as saying.

Armand, who is also the Subang Umno division chief, added that Umno should be more moderate like during Najib's leadership where the party was more accepted by all races.

"We can't just side with one side too much, Umno needs to get back to the basics of defending the party and need to get back to speaking out to be a check and balance.

"We also need to have experience from all aspects of working to make sure how to get votes from young people because today's young people we cannot force them to vote for us, we have to understand them.”

Incumbent Umno Youth chief Datuk Ashraf Wajdi Dusuki has said during the party general election last month that he will not defend his post.

But Armand may face a challenger from party mate and Jasin assemblyman Dr Muhamad Akmal Saleh has expressed interest to be Umno Youth chief too.

Armand is 48 years old this year. There is no age limit for the Umno Youth chief post but other Youth office-bearers are limited to 40.