UNFAZED Gen Z Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM) students have taken to Threads to berate Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi whose appropriateness to officiate Sunday’s (Oct 4) Ilmuwan Islam Malaysia Seminar at their alma mater is highly questionable given his past graft-linked track record.
Fanning the fire are Madani backers who questioned the timing of the event and using the good name of Islam following allegations of fund embezzlement linked to the Bumiputera institution’s investment arm, UITM Holdings Sdn Bhd.
“Please, Gen Z, don’t be fooled by this group,” pleaded Selangor Amanah’s communications secretary Ezzat Kamarudin.
Not only that, they also fumed at the Deputy Prime Minister for being both disrespectful to the host and spoiling their entire Sunday with his poor time management of having allegedly arrived “almost three hours late” at the event venue.
Alas, such entitled attitude was compared to PMX’s who turned up at the UiTM Alumni Gathering in the same venue a fortnight ago (Sept 26) “at 11.57am with the event scheduled at 12 noon”.
“I attended the UiTM Alumni Gathering with PMX on Sept 26 and he was on time. In fact, he arrived a little earlier than scheduled,” recounted a presumably UiTM teaching staff Ted Abu Bakar (@tedabubakar).
“Seeing someone I follow lead by example reminded me that punctuality and respect for other people’s time are qualities that help us succeed in life.”
Alas, a wife even lamented that “I’m sulking with my husband” who had to attend the so-called “brainwashing” co-cuticulum session on their child’s birthday given “attendance is compulsory” lest absenteeism risks deduction of a participant’s merit points.
‘Sword of Damocles factor’
As it is, Zahid who is also the Barisan Nasional (BN) chairman remains under a discharge not amounting to an acquittal (DNAA) for his 47 criminal breaches of trust (CBT), bribery and money laundering charges related to Yayasan Akalbudi funds.
Following the Malaysian Bar having legally challenged the Attorney-General’s Chambers’ (AGC) decision to grant Zahid a DNAA and subsequent no-further-action (NFA) decision, the Federal Court is set to hear the application for leave to appeal by Zahid and the AG this Thursday (Oct 8).
The appellants are seeking to block a decision by the Court of Appeal made in May 2026 which allowed the Malaysian Bar to proceed with a judicial review challenging the AGC’s choice to grant a DNAA with related legal challenges currently stayed pending the upcoming Federal Court appeal.
Interestingly, apart from Zahid, his daughter Datuk Nurulhidayah Ahmad Zahid is the central UMNO women’s wing EXCO member was also mocked for her appearance in the event in the capacity as the “KESATRIA UiTM’s (a military-style uniformed co-curriculum unit) Honorary Brigadier General”.
“Why did UiTM Shah Alam invite Zahid Hamidi and his daughter – the one who said “a woman is not born to be a leader” – to officiate the programme? What exactly have they contributed? So random,” ridiculed a participant who rued having her weakened ruined by having to attend the mandatory event. – Oct 5, 2026
