KOTA KINABALU: Sabah Umno will not parachute candidates into any constituency in the 17th state elections and will go with the popular choice, says Sabah Barisan Nasional chairman Datuk Seri Bung Moktar Radin.
"Barisan-Umno will not force the people to accept the candidate proposed by the party but will choose the candidate that the people in the area want, and we believe will be able to win," he said when launching the Barisan's Jalinan Rakyat machinery in Sabah's interior Tenom district Saturday (Oct 5).
Bung said this in response to the Tenom Umno Wanita wing's request to field three or four women candidates in the upcoming state election.
"I cannot promise that, but if there are female candidates who are wanted by the majority of the people and can win, maybe more women candidates will be fielded in various constituencies," he said.
He said the party's Jalinan Rakyat machinery aimed to further strengthen the party machinery with the people, especially the youth, by increasing the active involvement of the Barisan-Umno youth wings and Puteri Umno.
He said that previously, the Wanita Umno machinery mainly handled the Jalinan Rakyat machinery, but they were now strengthening it with the youth and Puteri movements to become more effective in preparing for the election.
"The approach is to reach out to young voters," he said, adding that it was important for them to organise programmes for the youths to attract them to support the party.
"Our youths are happier if the party approaches and organises a programme that meets their interests and this can encourage them to support Barisan," he said at the event held in Tenom's Kemabong community hall.
Bung believes that the involvement of the youth and Puteri movements would be a catalyst for the party's success in the upcoming state election.
"The number of new voters will continue to increase every month automatically until the assembly is dissolved. Therefore, the Jalinan Rakyat machinery needs to work harder to identify the trend among young voters to attract their support to the party," Bung said.
He said the function of each Jalinan Rakyat member was very important because they know the background of voters in their respective areas.
"They also need to know the current issue and explain it to the voters under their care," the Kinabatangan MP and Lamag assemblyman said.
