Zahid thanks followers ‘in country or abroad’ after Anwar’s ‘guru’ post

Umno president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi expressed gratitude to his followers, both at home and abroad, for attending his policy speech at the Umno general assembly. The president stated he would deliver his closing address this afternoon, encouraging everyone to continue following him wherever they are.

Earlier, Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim had posted a message on Facebook, referring to himself as a "guru" and thanking his "students" for learning about "Madani Diplomacy." Anwar's post, filled with Gen Z-style language, appeared to be a response to Zahid's criticism of the government's handling of the Budi95 petrol subsidy programme.

In his own speech, Zahid used Gen Z lingo, urging younger members of Umno to "slay" and "flex". This came after the Umno leader denied that his relationship with Anwar had become strained, despite a Bloomberg report suggesting tensions between the two leaders were increasing. The report mentioned that these tensions were due to Zahid's decision to have Barisan Nasional contest against Pakatan Harapan in the Johor and Negeri Sembilan state elections, as well as DAP's calls for institutional reforms.