Go For It, Jazlan!

Nur Jazlan: Let the younger ones lead

By : Sajahan Abdul Waheed

KUALA LUMPUR: The young ones should be the leaders of Umno if members truly want to rejuvenate the party, deputy president hopeful Datuk Nur Jazlan Mohamed said. The Pulai Umno division head said it was obvious that the party had failed to attract the young.

Nur Jazlan (picture), 42, who surprised many in the party by declaring his candidacy, said Umno required young leaders to strengthen the party and help prepare it to face the 13th general election.

"We should accept the fact (that the young do not support Umno) and work towards making changes.

"Unfortunately, over the past six months, I feel that nothing much has been done and we have yet to learn the lesson (of the general election)."

Nur Jazlan said the younger generation felt that Umno was not relevant to them, and this was dangerous.

"The problem is that Umno leaders are not in touch with the younger generation. My intention (of contesting the deputy president's post) is to represent the younger generation and show them that we in the party listen to and appreciate their views."

Nur Jazlan said he felt Umno's deputy president must be someone who was relatively younger than the president.

"That is why I am offering myself as there are some potential candidates who are older than Datuk Seri Najib Razak. I do not think that is right.

More here.

Nur Jazlan was my senior at high school. A qualified accountant and two-time MP. I thoroughly agree with him. That it is time for younger, newer blood to course through the higher echelons of UMNO. The old guard seem to have difficulty seeing through the message of the 12th GE, and nothing much has changed. They are still out of touch with the rakyat and the changing needs of the people and the country.

I do hope that he will however, be able to shed the closeted thinking of UMNO and look beyond mere "ketuanan" rhetorics at the larger picture and speak for all the people and push towards looking after the needs of all Malaysians. I also hope that he will be brave enough to strive for real reforms within UMNO and in the administration of the nation.

Ultimately, we need a real leader and manager...not a mere politician. We had enough of those.

Go for it, Nur Jazlan.

(A Muhyiddin Yassin/Nur Jazlan ticket sounds good to me)