Khairy calls on UMNO youth to be ready for election

Its chief Khairy Jamaluddin Abu Bakar said the movement must continue to work hard to face any of the opposition candidates, including from former UMNO leaders.

"The emergence of former Umno leaders in the opposition is nothing new, as the BN has faced former UMNO leaders like Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim (PKR) and Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah (Semangat 46)...we are ready to face anybody," he told a press conference after officiating the simultaneous delegates meetings of Labuan UMNO's Wanita, Youth and Puteri wings here today.

He said what was pertinent was to gain the people's confidence in the party's struggle for the people and for the nation.

"We must not look much at the opponents ...more important to gain the people's confidence and get the people's mandate," he said.

Khairy also said that UMNO Youth had its own viewpoints regarding every election scenario as each had different challenges altogether.

"To me, every election has its own challenge, as such, we cannot say this time around the election will be tougher than previously, whatever it is, we must be ready," he said

He said the BN government had a proven track record of administering the country and would continue to lead the country.

On another matter, Khairy said that UMNO Youth will be working together with Labuan UNMNO leaders to highlight the people's predicaments and grievances on the island's economic revival efforts to the federal government.

He said the island's economy had been badly hit by the slowdown in the oil and gas sector, leaving more than 10,000 people jobless and that much needed to be done to bring back the glory days to Labuan.

One was the unresolved long-standing Labuan bridge to connect to the mainalnd, which would help Labuan's economy in the long run, if resolved, he said.