New faces but not necessarily young

Does such lethargic mass generate political inspiration to the masses?

In the Kota Kinabalu UMNO Divisional Annual General Meeting, the UMNO Kota KInabalu Division Chairman, Datuk Faisyal Y. H. Diego suggested that candidates for the upcoming general election should come from among the young leaders in Wanita Umno, and Puteri and Umno Youth wings.

Ketua Puteri UMNO leader agreed and expressed support from her wings. She suggested 50% must come from the young ones.

In case, you are not aware there exist a Puteri UMNO. The Ketua Puteri is that lethargic mass and most unhealthy looking Deputy Health Minister, Dato Rosnah Abd Rashid Shirlin you sometime see on TV.

These suggestion may have it's basis but judging by the present crop of poor quality and attitude of leaders generated from the Pemuda and Puteri wing, that spells D-I-S-A-S-T-E-R in the making.

The analysis concluded from the many by-elections, especially the ones UMNO and BN won, shows that it is new faces that the electorates wanted. Voters grouses are against the usual offerings from the past with baggage of bad habits, laziness and arrogance.

This was also proven in the last Sarawak state election. Pehin Seri Taib Mahmud opted to replace the old faces with new faces rather than the young faces.

He did not allow for a major generational transformation that would come with 50% replacement with new and young faces. Voters do not care if you are young or old but they want a working representative.

That helped him win the two third majority despite the onslaught he was facing.

Read the Bernama news below:

May 07, 2011 20:29 PM

Puteri Umno Supports Suggestion 50 Per Cent BN Candidates Be From Among Young

KOTA KINABALU, May 7 (Bernama) -- Puteri Umno backs a suggestion that 50 per cent of Barisan Nasional (BN) candidates for the 13th general election be from among the young.

Health Deputy Minister Datuk Rosnah Abd Rashid Shirlin, who is also national Puteri chief, said the backing reflected the 45 and below age category of 70 per cent of voters in the general election.

Indicating that these voters were more likely to vote for candidates in their age group, she said they would be the ones to decide the outcome of the election.

Kota Kinabalu Umno division chairman Datuk Faisyal Y. H. Diego made the suggestion during its Puteri delegates' meeting here Saturday.

He said the candidates could come from among the young leaders in Wanita Umno, and Puteri and Umno Youth wings.

Rosnah, while opening the event, told Puteri members to make it their priority to help prepare the BN for the coming general election.

Among others, she urged Puteri members to have Facebook and Twitter accounts and blogs as a means to get to the target group. -- BERNAMA

The major issues against this suggestion is the level of activities and drive coming from the Pemuda and Puteri movement.

They are expected to be in the forefront of political events and happenings and doing the grunge work but are acting and acquired the indolence habit of veterans. The presence of Pemuda and Puteri in by-election campaigns slips by everybody.

Under the present crop of Pemuda and Puteri leadership, both the movements are seen as lifeless, overly cautious and clueless. The intra-organisation politicking at their level is so endemic that it stiffled activities at all levels.

In comparison to the level of maturity and seriousness of past generations of Pemuda UMNO leadership, the current Pemuda and Puteri does not come close to their feistiness. Being feisty is not about being combative only.

Perhaps they are tamed by the more welfare and social nature of political work these days. In the past, Pemuda political work carry on a more serious tone in the struggle to address social, political and economic issues pervading the Bumiputera community and nation.

But, perjuangan belum selesai. They must find their role and not as we see today of Pemuda and Puteri leaders more keen in eyeing for positions in GLCs or setpols or even set-pol to a set-pol. Pemuda and Puteri social gatherings are more like business networking gatherings.

Where lies Rosnah's leadership when she can't establish
working relation with her deputy?

On an individual level, Pemuda and Puteri could neither command the respect of their piers or elders nor entrusted with specific task by their party's elders anymore.

The Ketua Pemuda's attitude is something to be desired. Just because he was not selected into cabinet, he is whining and pleading like a spoilt mama's boy. Instead of working hard to convince the party elders, the Ketua Pemuda's reaction is to sulk by standing down the Pemuda machinery at the party's expense.

To give him some leeway, why in heaven's should that irrelevent fat slob Rosnah be given a position in cabinet when she could hardly established a working relationship with her deputy and make Puteri into an organisation with some form of existence.

Imagine, without any inkling of leadership, compassion and maturity, they expect 50% of the seats to be given to candidates from Pemuda and Puteri?

At the level where they are being nurtured as future leaders, these boys and girls have acquired many bad habits and attitude and taking it easy as as though they are senior party members.

To suggest they are to be empowered, it is crazy and irresponsible!