KUALA LUMPUR, Jan. 15 -- Under a sea of red that flooded the Putra World Trade Centre (PWTC) from early morning, Umno delegates streamed in to collect their passes and attend the party president's closed-door briefing but it was Umno Youth chief Datuk Dr Muhamad Akmal Saleh's hinted resignation that dominated conversations on the sidelines of the party's general assembly.

As delegates made their way into Dewan Merdeka for the first day of the four-day gathering, marked by a morning symposium on politics in the digital era and a 4pm presidential briefing by Umno president Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, the question among grassroots leaders was pointed: Why is "Mr No Fear, No Surrender" surrendering now?

Speaking to Malay Mail on the side...