Umno candidates must feel people’s pulse

The party must pick on candidates who are outspoken and have a full grasp of issues afflicting the country and the world at large.

GEORGE TOWN: Age should not be a main factor when Umno decides on its candidates for the next general election in Penang.

What counts is the ability to perform and to struggle for the party, Penang Umno Youth head Shaik Mydin Hussein said.

Although the popular theory out there is for young candidates to be given a chance to contest, Shaik Mydin said, there was also a need to assess the candidates and incumbents based on their performances, or in their ability to deliver if elected.

This is crucial when the top leadership sits down to assess the performances of the incumbents and decide if they are suitable to stand for re-election, Shaik Mydin said in an interview here.

In the 2008 general election, Penang Umno contested 15 state seats out of a total of 40 constituencies and five out of the 11 parliamentary seats. It won 11 state and two parliamentary seats, paving the way for the party to be the sole opposition front in Penang.

There seems to be a race among the political parties to field fresh and young candidates in the nation’s 13th general election, scheduled anytime from now until the parliamentary term expires in early 2013.

This is bearing in mind that the country is relatively young, thanks to a baby booming generation, where about 70 percent of the estimated 27-million population are believed to be aged 40 and below.

Penang is said to be among the states with a huge headache for Umno president Najib Tun Razak since many of its 11 incumbents have already served between three and four terms.

The only exception is the state Umno liaison committee chairman Zainal Abidin Osman, who is said to be the main figure to lead Barisan Nasional’s (BN) charge here in view of the fact that Gerakan and MCA as well as MIC are struggling to cope with the rise of DAP and PKR.

There is also speculation that former prime minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi may also make way as the long-serving Kepala Batas MP here.

Voters want more from reps

Shaik Mydin urged incumbents to opt out if they can no longer perform their duties effectively.

The challenge nowadays is that majority of the public want morally upright, resourceful and pro-active representatives.

It is no longer suffice to just resolve petty problems such as drainage in their constituencies; assemblymen and parliamentarians must be corrupt-free and to involve themselves in environment preservation as well as macro-economic issues such as reducing the escalating costs of living in their areas and pushing for affordable housing.

They must feel the “pulse” of their respective constituencies. They must be outspoken in every sense of the word and have a full grasp of issues afflicting the country and the world at large.

However, Shaik Mydin cautioned representatives about being outspoken, saying some politicians in Penang lashed out without any substance or facts, thinking that sprewing emotions is the only way to woo voters here.

On the other hand, Shaik Mydin said people are craving for “polished” leaders, who can serve effectively instead of just relying on their respective party leaders to often come to their aid.

“We need party activists and not just opportunists hoping to benefit from the political might of Umno. We want candidates who place the nation, voters, party above themselves. If we have winnable candidates, Umno would never lose.”

He also urged the people here to vote in a multi-ethnic and multi-religious composition to reflect Malaysia’s diverse background.

“We should not have the present scenerio now where the Chinese dominate the government while the Malays are the opposition. This is an unhealthy trend and would invoke a sense of discrimination in matters of governance.”