UPDATED 4.38PM | Added Boo's response to Ku Li's defence of Akmal. 

Umno veteran Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah has thrown his weight behind the party’s youth chief Dr Muhamad Akmal Saleh amid the ongoing debate surrounding halal certification.

Ku Li, as he is fondly known, stressed that Akmal’s assertive stance should not be mistaken for hostility towards other races but rather as being in line with Umno’s constitution and mission.

“Why should he apologise? I believe this is a sincere opinion from our youth chief. He’s expressing his feelings...