Young voters to decide GE16 outcome, Umno needs new strategy
Umno vice-president Datuk Seri Johari Abdul Ghani - Photo by Bernama
Umno vice-president Datuk Seri Johari Abdul Ghani (centre) officiating the Pasir Gudang Umno Division Conference at Dewan Muafakat Taman Mawar on Saturday.
PASIR GUDANG – Young voters are expected to play a key role in determining the outcome of the 16th General Election (GE16), as they make up about 40 per cent of the total electorate in the country.
Umno vice-president Datuk Seri Johari Abdul Ghani said the figure highlighted the urgent need for more strategic and relevant approaches to engage this demographic.
'We need to engage with this group in the right way. They're not like before. Many are highly educated, some have PhD, master's degree, or bachelor's degree and their way of assessing candidates is very different.
'Young people in Kuala Lumpur are not the same as those in Kedah or Johor Bahru. We can't use a one-size-fits-all approach. Their thinking is dynamic and critical,' he said.
He was speaking at a press conference after officiating the Pasir Gudang Umno Division Conference at Dewan Muafakat Taman Mawar on Saturday.
Also present was Umno vice-president and Pasir Gudang Umno Division Chief Datuk Seri Mohamed Khaled Nordin.
Johari said Umno recognised the challenges in gaining the support of young voters and will work with non-governmental organisations to broaden its reach and adopt approaches that were more community-focused.
'We can't just rely on old machinery or traditional programmes. Young people are more connected to the digital world and have access to more information, so we must be creative and sincere in engaging with them,' he said.
In his speech, Johari also stressed that Umno was not a platform for chasing positions or wealth, but rather a movement of struggle that has played a major role since before independence.
'Many Umno fighters back then didn't even hold positions after independence, but their spirit of struggle lived on and gave rise to many great thinkers,' he said.
Commenting further, he reminded that Barisan Nasional (BN) must not be overconfident going into the next general election.
'BN cannot be complacent or assume we will win easily. The political landscape today is very different and the people especially young voters judged based on performance and integrity,' said the Plantation and Commodities Minister.
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