KUALA LUMPUR: The emergence of young blood in the Barisan Nasional (BN) candidacy line-up would be a boost to the coalition’s image and in its battle to garner a bigger mandate in the May 5 polls.
It will prove that Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak is walking the talk in his willingness to listen and engage with the youth in nation building.
It could also be the coalition’s trump card and an attraction to woo the young generation especially the first time voters, said Tan Chuan Koon, executive director of Sedar Institute, a local political think-tank.
He said the need for more new faces is ever more pertinent now, following the changing political landscape in the country since 2008 where the more vocal and well-informed populace are taking more serious interest and participation in the current issues concerning the nation.
“Constituents now demand that their representatives do not just talk but are also able to perform up to their expectations.
“These youthful candidates will certainly appeal to this group of young voters as they are seen to be more energetic, savvy and knowledgeable. Voters would relate to them better compared to the older generation of politicians,” he told Bernama.
The need to feature more young new faces in the candidacy line-up is also important for BN in this general election, considering that young voters will be making up a huge chunk of the total electorate in this general election.
The Election Commission’s statistics showed that 5.6 million (42 per cent) of the total 13.3 million registered voters are young voters below 40 years old.
Of the number, 3,024,909 are in the age group of 30 to 39 years old while 2,539,222 of them are aged between 21 to 29 years old.
A fresher, younger and energetic candidacy line up would also serve well for Najib, who himself will only turn 60 this July, comparatively younger than most of his predecessors.
Moreover, it also means that BN will not be bogged down by the lethargy and political baggage borne by some old guns.
“Some had served for too many terms and would not be able to perform well. If they were re-nominated, I fear it would only appall the voters,” Tan added.
Concurring with Tan, political analyst Prof Madya Dr P Sivamurugan said the need for more young new faces is also in line with Najib’s political transformation agenda.
“And as he leads the country to become a developed nation, he definitely will need a team of young and dynamic leaders to work with him,” he said.
He said the fact that more veteran politicians are bowing out from the political stage also signals the coming of more new young blood into the scene.
He added that while the service of old and experienced politicians were still equally crucial, the election would provide BN leadership the platform to train and groom these young leaders to take over the party’s and country’s leadership in the future. — Bernama
Sivamurugan believed that based on the trend and development in Najib’s policy, the BN candidacy line-up this time will feature quite a substantial number of young professionals that cut across a broad area of expertise.
“The current situation demands wakil rakyat who are not only brainy, versatile but also hardworking, down to earth and people oriented,” he said.
Meanwhile, Wanita MCA head Datuk Yu Chok Tow said it was important to feature new faces in the party to show the transformation that were being made and to give them an opportunity to serve the people.“The introduction of new faces in the general election will certainly give them an opportunity to gain more experience in providing the best service to the rakyat,” she said.
Source : Borneo Post
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