‘Time for younger members to contest’

A DELEGATE from Sabah Umno Youth has called on the party leadership to pave the way for the young, saying some members had to wait so long for their turns to contest in the general election that they were now “sporting beards”.

Batu Sapi Umno youth chief Khairul Firdaus Akhbar Khan said he found an interesting “syndrome” among party leaders.

“It is called the working-too-hard syndrome. They want to work until they are 90, and they can work from morning until night,” he said, drawing laughter from the crowd.

Khairul said this while debating the Umno Youth chief ’s policy speech.

He said this “syndrome” made it harder for new young candidates to be chosen to contest in the polls.

“It’s been 10 years since we had any youth candidate from our wing who is below 40 picked as a candidate. Where do we put our face? Are we not qualified?

“Some of us have waited for more than three terms. One waited until he had a full beard and the another waited until he looked like he is nine months’ pregnant,” he quipped.

Young members, claimed Khairul Firdaus, seemed to be needed only when VIPs from Peninsular Malaysia came over for a visit.

“They will WhatsApp us to help usher the Prime Minister and the Deputy Prime Minister when they arrive at the airport.

“We will talk among ourselves - when will this stop?” he said.

Young members, he said, were also put to work to hang posters and flags and appear at the nomination centres.

He challenged those who had served more than three terms to write to the Prime Minister and offer themselves to pave way for new faces in the polls.

Another delegate said even if Umno members needed to fight among themselves, they should be able to stop when a common enemy came along.

Azizul Jasmin Mohamad, who spoke on behalf of Terengganu Umno Youth, said dogs in the middle of a fight would stop fighting each other when they saw a cat.

“Dogs can set aside their differences and actually go after the cat together,” he said during debate.

Azizul said while unity and solidarity within Umno were important, misunderstanding and tension would occur.

“If we really have to fight, then let’s do it this way. We must set aside our differences and come together to fight the common enemy,” he said.

It’s been 10 years since we had any youth candidate from our wing who is below 40 picked as a candidate.

Khairul Firdaus Akhbar Khan