Najib Abdul Razak admits that he faces a dilemma of whether he should speak as a prime minister or party president at Umno general assemblies.

He said he had to prioritise the issues of Umno, Islam and bumiputera agenda during Umno meetings as his audience, the Umno members, were Malays, Muslims and bumiputera.

However, Najib noted that he could not insult the non-Malays and non-bumiputera.

"This is my dilemma. For example, I speak as a president or PM," he said in a special televised interview yesterday in conjunction with the five-day Umno assemblies, which commenced today.

"The people must understand this is PAU (Umno general assembly), not a budget speech, eve of Independence and others. This is a speech as Umno president," he is quoted as saying by Bernama.

"As such, my audience are the Umno members. The Malays, bumiputera must understand. I also must understand because I also hold the prime minister's post... so, I cannot insult the non-Malays and non-bumiputera.

"Our priority is the issues of Umno, Islam and bumiputera agenda. This does not mean we don't care at all about the rights and interests of other people. This is PAU," he said.

During the Umno assemblies to be held between Nov 29 and Dec 3, Najib would attend the president's briefing today while Deputy Prime Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi would officially open the meetings of the party's Wanita, Youth and Puteri wings.