REMBAU, AUG 19- Khairy Jamaluddin today announced that he will be defending the Umno Youth chief post at Umno’s polls in October.
The Member of Parliament for Rembau said he made the decision after deep thought and getting the blessings of grassroot supporters.
“I have given this much thought and following discussions with my friends at the grassroots levels and seeking the views of my Umno Youth executive committee friends, and also at the state, division and branch levels, I am asking to be given one more term because there are many things I need to do which could not be done in just one term,” he said.
He said this at a press conference at his Aidilfitri open house in Kampung Gadong near here today.
Khairy, who is also Youth and Sports Minister, said a survey by the Merdeka Centre after the 13th General Election (GE13) had shown the Barisan Nasional (BN) had gained 54 per cent support from Malay voters aged between 21 and 30.
“So, our focus now is to ensure this trend can be improved, not only among Malay voters from this age group ( 21 to 30 years) but also up to 40 years and include non-Malay voters, from the Chinese, Indian, Kadazan, Iban and other communities as well.
“This needs continuity, and I have put in place a plan since four years ago so that Umno Youth and BN become more relevant to the younger generation and their tastes. With the approach and progammes we are taking, there is more openness in bringing a patriotic spirit in line with the wishes of our Prime Minister.
He said that after he was appointed as Youth and Sports Minister (after GE13), he felt that there was much more he needed to do and saw more clearly the challenges faced by the younger generation.
This gave him a better insight on the path the government should take in meeting their aspirations, he added.
The same applied to Umno Youth, he said, noting that the wing “had to be up to speed” with the tastes of the younger generation if it wanted to remain strong in the 21st century.
BERNAMA
