MUAR: The Malaysian United Democratic Alliance (MUDA) decision to contest in the upcoming Johor State Election should not be underestimated and must be viewed as a testing ground in determining the wishes of young voters.

The Ketereh UMNO Division chief Tan Sri Annuar Musa said as a democratic nation, everyone, who has legally registered including MUDA should be given the opportunity to contest to gauge their capability.

Annuar, who is also Communications and Multimedia Minister, said UMNO would also provide more opportunities for young candidates to work together with leaders with extensive experience in the political landscape, citing the success it created in the previous state election as an example.

"Young people will be provided with as many opportunities as possible and UMNO is a party that always gives such opportunities, and I myself became a candidate when I was 28. We should welcome the participation (MUDA)," he said, adding that without such opportunity to contest and test their capability as a registered political party, they could only make 'noise'.

"We should not underestimate anyone (who is contesting) including independent candidates," he told reporters after attending an afternoon tea event with UMNO members from the Bakri Division at Dewan Seri Pekembar, Pagoh here today.

Annuar, who is also the Ketereh Member of Parliament, said this when asked about MUDA's decision to contest in the Johor state election marking its debut in state elections.

Earlier, MUDA president Syed Saddiq Syed Abdul Rahman confirmed that the party would contest in the state election.

For the record, the number of voters in Johor recorded an increase by about 28 per cent with the addition of 749,731 voters aged 18 following the automatic registration of voters under the Undi18 move, posing a new challenge to contesting parties.

In another development, Annuar said, UMNO and Barisan Nasional (BN) should consider every election crucial, including the Johor state election because as long as the people have not cast their ballot, it is not wise to be overly confident.

He said they needed to win voters' hearts to win the election by making an appearance, coming up with a manifesto and implementing good work movements.

"We have gone through many elections; we have also lost. We must not be arrogant, overconfident. We must show that we are a responsible party that is sincere in wanting to form a stable government in Johor," he said.

Annuar said he was confident that the party would field a good combination of young and experienced candidates in the election.

-- BERNAMA