Dr Akmal Saleh’s resignation as the Melaka State Executive Councillor (Exco) for Rural Development, Agriculture and Food Security is a significant loss to the state.
Datuk Mohd Noor Helmy, the assemblyman for Duyong, said this in response to Akmal’s announcement that he would step down from the position during the Umno General Assembly (PAU 2026) on 15 January. Akmal said he had decided to resign from the post while remaining as Umno Youth chief in order to continue his fight against the Democratic Action Party (DAP).
Speaking to the media yesterday (17 January), Helmy said Akmal had made substantial contributions during his time as a state Exco.
“There were many things that we thought could not be done, but which were ultimately delivered and successfully implemented,” Helmy said.
“This is not just a huge loss to Melaka, but also to the portfolio he handled, which dealt with many issues in rural communities.”
During his resignation announcement, which was attended by former health minister Khairy Jamaluddin, Akmal said he was not motivated by money or government positions. He added that he would not have resigned from his role in the Melaka state government, which he said paid “tens of thousands of ringgit”, if personal gain had been his priority.
Akmal’s resignation as state Exco will take effect next week, although no specific date was given. During the same announcement, he also referred to a social media posting error by Malaysiakini and called on the portal to attend PAU 2026 to issue a public apology, which took place on 15 January.
Akmal further reiterated that even after leaving his state Exco role, he would continue his fight against DAP until the end.
