KUALA LUMPUR - Umno Youth has proclaimed its readiness to field a candidate from its wing in the upcoming Mahkota by-election in Johor, scheduled for September 28, if given the opportunity.
Umno Youth Chief Dr Muhamad Akmal Saleh made this statement following the recent significant victory of a young candidate in the Nenggiri by-election in Kelantan.
"The success in Nenggiri should be a lesson for everyone.
"To the delegates present and the leadership, I want to stress that if you aspire to be a candidate, you must first demonstrate that you truly possess the qualities of service, not merely the title of 'Yang Berhormat' (Honourable)," he said.
Dr Akmal urged Umno Youth to avoid complacency and shirk responsibilities.
"To those within the Umno Youth team, I issue a stern warning, including to myself: do not be lazy, avoid responsibilities, or make excuses when it comes to serving the people.
"If I find any Umno Youth representatives failing to perform their duties, they should not even think about becoming a candidate for the 16th General Election (GE16)," he cautioned.
He delivered these remarks during his keynote speech as Umno Youth Chief at the Umno General Assembly (PAU) 2024 at the World Trade Centre Kuala Lumpur (WTCKL) today.
In the Nenggiri by-election held last Saturday, Mohd Azmawi Fikri Abdul Ghani, 38, clinched the seat for Umno by securing 9,091 votes, defeating his Perikatan Nasional (PN) rival, Mohd Rizwadi Ismail, who received 5,739 votes.
Umno had previously won the Nenggiri seat in four consecutive elections since the constituency was established in 2004.
However, PN, through former state legislative assembly member Mohd Azizi Abu Naim, won the seat in the 15th state election last year with a majority of 810 votes.
Dr Akmal stated that the Nenggiri victory has renewed motivation not only for the youth wing but also for the Puteri, Wanita, and Umno as a whole.
"This time, we truly operated as one unified Umno family.
"I extend my gratitude to Umno President Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi for the trust and support given to us, the youth, to represent Umno in Nenggiri," he added.