PARTY OF THE FUTURE’
to reflect the 2017 taste. This is important because voters no longer look at the party logo.
“The era when a songkok can win is long gone. A candidate is the manifestation of the president and party.”
Khairy said the diversity of candidates would enable the party to be seen as contemporary.
“It also means that we have (candidates) from among the seniors, but we need to have more from the Wanita and Youth wings who are not from the party’s hierarchy.
“This does not mean we (Youth) want all of it. The seniors will continue to be in the frontline to lead and guide us.
“The final decision is with the president. We will accept any decision. What is important is not the candidates, but victory for Umno and BN.
“The stakes are high this time. It is about survival and destiny.”
Khairy said GE14 would be extraordinary because it would not only be about who formed the government in the next five years, but the destiny of the nation.
“We are living in an era of great disruption. We face the fourth industrial revolution where the physical, digital and biological worlds are interrelated.”
By 2030, he said, 20 per cent of jobs would be replaced by robots and 65 per cent would be filled by primary school pupils who were not born yet.
“Today’s Malaysia is a young nation because more than 71 per cent of the population is below 40 years old, but by 2035, we will become an ageing nation.
“Our average life expectancy will increase to more than 90 years.
“This will put pressure on the health system as well the average Employees Provident Fund savings of RM50,000.
“How will this sustain us until 90 years old?” he asked, adding that this pressure would be amplified by urbanisation, climate change, food security, border security, cyberwarfare and social value changes in the digital world.
Khairy said he had met two million youths since January to listen to aspirations on the future of the country, and prepare for the changes and disruption.
“The president puts one eye on the present and one eye on the future while the opposition does not care about the future generation.
“Apart from solving problems, we are also preparing for the future.”