UMNO must be a pro-people's party and not a platform to get 'projects' or a 'cable' for personal gain.

This would be part of the message that UMNO Youth chief Khairy Jamaluddin would send out at the coming UMNO General Assembly 2016 next week, which would stress on the negative perception that must be erased if UMNO wants to win in the coming 14th General Election.

He said anyone, including UMNO Youth members, who had such aspiration must immediately self-reflect and return to the party's fundamentals in order to remain relevant to the minds and hearts of the people.

"We have to choose leaders who can really work. I feel I have been long in Youth and I can assess who can really work and who are just here for their own benefit.

"So it is really important that we as leaders make honest decisions, choose those who can add value to Youth and the party, and not for themselves," he told Bernama.

Khairy who is set to leave the Youth platform after two terms as its leader said Youth members must be of benefit to the party and not the other way round.

Khairy who is also Youth and Sports Minister also advised Youth members to change their attitude from being selfish, to giving priority to the party so that it will be pro-people and not pro-leaders.

"For as long as there are leaders like this, that perception about UMNO will continue, with people coming into politics to gain wealth, and so on. We have to show leaders who are sincere and can do work.

"Leaders who can do work don't necessarily mean they have no money, some may be wealthy, have businesses, but they can do the work and help the people, that is what we want," he said.

A member of parliament for Rembau since 2008, Khairy was convinced that voters want UMNO to remain true to its struggles which made the people's interests a priority.

"I think the Malays want UMNO to return to the roots and want to see it as a body which unites the Malays, to see UMNO loyal not just to the leaders but also the struggle for the Malays, for a multi-cultural Malaysia, and are always working.

"I see victory for us if we work. People who are hard-working will win. This is our strategy. The opposition can play with sentiments, but we show that we are more hard-working," he said.

Commenting on UMNO's strategy to face political challenges including attacks by former party leaders, Khairy who is more popularly known as 'KJ' said this would not be easy.

However, he said, UMNO must not be obsessed by their political enemies because the party had its own struggles and agenda.

"If every day we compare with the opposition, then we will not be active. We have to be pro-active and do our work, the programmes that benefit the people," he said.

On his successor, Khairy said he was confident that UMNO Youth was ready for a new leadership as much effort had been put in to prepare it for the next leader.

"I have been talking publicly from last year that I would not be contesting again for Youth posts. And they must be ready to replace me in one or two years. So they are ready. I am confident and believe Youth will persevere as a movement which is strong to the party even when I am not part of the leadership," he said.

The UMNO Youth General Assembly is scheduled to be held on Nov 30 while the UMNO General Assembly would start on Dec 1, both at the Putra World Trade Centre (PWTC). --Bernama