RUBBISH, KHAIRY! WHAT CHANGE IS THERE IN UMNO: Wind of change blowing PKR youth over - KJ

The 53 PKR Youth members who had allegedly joined Umno shows the wind of change is blowing among the young in Permatang Pauh.

Umno Youth chief Khairy Jamaluddin today claimed that he had received application forms from 53 youths from Sembilang, Seberang Jaya.

"Although it is only from one area, this shows the current trend of what's happening in Permatang Pauh, where the change among the young voters is very apparent.

"I hope we can keep up the momentum in the next three, four days of campaigning," he said in a press conference in Permatang Pauh today.

The Youth and Sports minister also believes that the BN's decision to place a young candidate, 44-year-old Suhaimi Sabudin, in the by-election, was received well by the young voters here.

"It is still unclear whether the current trend is enough for our candidate to win this by-election, but we will try our best to gain as much support as we can," he said, adding that internal problems plaguing Pakatan had also been a factor in the "wind of change".

Earlier, a group of Selangor PKR members held a protest in Permatang Pauh, rejecting their president Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail's candidacy in the by-election, reported The Malaysian Insider.

The group which calls itself "Suara Akar Umbi Keadilan" said Wan Azizah would not be capable of serving two seats; the Kajang state seat as well as the Permatang Pauh parliamentary seat.

Several quarters have criticised PKR's decision to field Wan Azizah as the opposition coalition's candidate for the by-election, which had only fuelled claims of nepotism within the party.

Wan Azizah is contesting in the by-election after her husband, the former Permatang Pauh MP was jailed for sodomy, a move the opposition believes was political in nature. - M'kini