Win over youth by safeguarding nation’s future, Najib tells Umno

KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 25 — Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak said Umno and Barisan Nasional (BN) must appear as a party that can safeguard the country’s future in order to win public support, especially among youths.

Najib, who is also Umno president, said the party should not be static and too conservative as the young generation wanted to see change and they liked transformation.

“Therefore, we should exist as a party that can bring change to the nation. That is why the young people today feel that they should not reject Umno and BN although we have continuously ruled this country.

“At least they (youths) see us as a party that can bring about transformation and development in the country and want to see the plans for now and the future.”

Najib said this in an exclusive interview with Bernama and Utusan Malaysia at his office in Parliament building in conjunction with the 63rd Umno General Assembly tomorrow until December 1 at the Putra World Trade Centre, here.

The prime minister said that entering a new political era, Umno and BN also made shifts in terms of administration as otherwise, the government would be seen as inert and only successful in the old environment.

For that, he said, the giving of a RM200 rebate for each youth aged 21 to 30 for the purchase of a 3G smartphone, the Bantuan Rakyat 1 Malaysia of RM250 each for single individuals aged 21 and above and earning less than RM2,000 monthly and the 1 Malaysia Book Voucher worth RM250 for pre-university students and those of higher learning institutions were among the new approaches introduced to bring the government and youths closer together.

Najib said the government’s efforts to get close to youths and understand their aspirations proved to be fruitful as candidates from the Pro-Aspirasi group won the recent campus elections for the 2012/2013 session at 18 of 20 public higher learning institutions.

Despite the achievements, he said, Umno as the main pillar of BN, could not be too dependent on or nostalgic about its past successes and instead, needed to drive transformation clamoured by the young generation who formed over 40 per cent of voters in the coming general election.

Najib said as people born during the post-independence era, they (youths) only knew about Umno’s struggle through their reading, hence they did not understand the real stories behind what they read.

“No matter how great our past achievements had been, these did not enter their books.

“What they want to see is for now and the future, so that is why we must make Umno and BN a party that can ensure a good future for them and the nation,” he said. — Bernama