Securing votes of new voters a challenge to all parties

JOHOR BAHRU: UMNO secretary-general Datuk Seri Ahmad Maslan regards the Johor State Elections (PRN) this time as a great challenge not only to UMNO, but also other parties, in terms of reaping the support of about 700,000 new voters.

Ahmad, nevertheless, said UMNO was ready to face the challenge.

"Indeed it (addition of new voters) is a challenging matter, but in politics, challenges are something that we have to face," he told reporters after attending the Johor State UMNO Liaison Committee meeting here today.

Ahmad, who is also Pontian MP, said there were two categories of new voters, namely the 18 to 20-year-old group and those 21-years-old and above but who had never voted.

Meanwhile, commenting on PAS deputy president Datuk Seri Tuan Ibrahim Tuan Man's statement on the party's readiness to work with UMNO in the Johor polls, he said no official request had been received from PAS so far.

Yesterday, Tuan Ibrahim hinted that co-operation through Muafakat Nasional (MN) would be continued in the Johor state election, and that discussions would be held with the top UMNO leadership in the near future.

-- BERNAMA