UMNO needs to give opportunities to young leaders - Tun Faisal
Fareez Azman
January 23, 2021 15:44 MYT
January 23, 2021 15:44 MYT
Tun Faisal said the party's rejuvenation process as proclaimed by UMNO needs to be translated by giving young leaders the opportunity to be senators in the Dewan Negara. Image via UMNO Putrajaya
KUALA LUMPUR: UMNO needs to highlight a good image and have a new leadership succession system to remain relevant and accepted by the people, said Putrajaya UMNO Deputy Chief, Tun Faisal Ismail Aziz.
He said young leaders and successors should be given the opportunity to lead the party.
"I am giving a picture in principle ... it is easier to stick to the principle. If the party leadership is easily accepted, have a good image, credibility is there, skills are there, okay done.
"Secondly, the replacement and election system in UMNO. If we observe, it is not so interesting because of old faces ... so long being there ... (among) divisional, state and central leadership.
"That is why in the UMNO Youth leadership, we have an age limit of 40 years. When we are 40 years old, we have to look for a replacement.
“To be the division youth chief, it requires a new face, a second echelon leader and successor who is trained and so on.
"But this is not happening (in UMNO) ... division vice heads, division deputy heads, division heads, president and members of the Supreme Working Council (MKT) ...
“The problem is when there is no (age) limit, it will go on. This is a problem in UMNO now causing young people to not be able to move forward," he said in Agenda AWANI last night.
Tun Faisal added that the party's rejuvenation process as proclaimed by UMNO needs to be translated by giving young leaders the opportunity to be senators in the Dewan Negara.
"There should be experiments to rejuvenate the party, but there are decisions that I myself do not understand.
“For example, the senate (Dewan Negara) is a place for young people to be groomed, but I do not understand when the UMNO leadership takes people aged 70 and above to occupy the senator's seat.
"Putting them elsewhere is okay because that's the grooming process... We want to build a new layer, but there is no limit.
“When there are no methods and guidelines, UMNO will eventually become unattractive in the eyes of the people," he added.