Retire old faces for younger candidates, Nur Jazlan tells Umno

 

Johor Umno deputy chief Nur Jazlan Mohamed said some of these ‘old horses’ have become disillusioned, citing an Umno minister who appeared to champion the affairs of Perikatan Nasional. (Bernama pic)

PETALING JAYA: Umno should retire old faces and put up fresh, younger candidates in the coming general election, says its Johor deputy chief Nur Jazlan Mohamed.

He added that this would allow the party to “win in style”.

He said Umno would “die” if it did not urgently rejuvenate itself to appeal to the four million-odd, new 18-year-old voters in preparing for the general election.

Jazlan said ideally, a balanced ratio of old and young would be ideal for the coming polls, while existing Umno representatives who had been in office for 20 to 30 years should bow out for younger candidates and become mentors for the new faces.

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“Regardless of how long they have been reps, even for 20 to 30 years, voters are tired. People want fresh faces. They (the old faces) can help young candidates plan, draft and implement campaigns. When both forces combine, it would be a win-win (situation).

“Also, younger voters are no longer interested in the old way of politics, such as the struggle for race and religion. They are attracted to movement-based politics,” he said in a statement.

Jazlan said some of these “old horses” had become disillusioned, citing an Umno minister who appeared to champion the affairs of Perikatan Nasional (PN).

He did not name the minister but urged the minister to defect to PN before the anti-hopping bill is enforced.

He said the reality was that Umno, along with PAS and Amanah, were led by many old faces which might not be beneficial to the parties.

Jazlan said Umno should look at how PKR had accepted youths to be leaders at the top level, with younger leaders elected as deputy president and four vice-presidents.

“That is the kind of rejuvenation Umno should undergo to recognise current political demands.

“Do we want our youths to be influenced by the likes of DAP, PKR, and Muda? Don’t tell me Umno wants to be like Pejuang, which is run by those from the Jurassic period?

“Umno will only remain relevant if it is accepted by youths. For that, it must change.” - FMT