Khairy wants youth-friendly MIC candidate
Umno Youth hopes the BN candidate in the Hulu Selangor by-election will be someone acceptable to youths, said its chief Khairy Jamaluddin.
Umno Youth hopes the BN candidate in the Hulu Selangor by-election will be someone acceptable to youths, said its chief Khairy Jamaluddin.
He said this factor needed to be given attention as a study done by the movement found that youths would be the determining factor for a BN victory.
"Umno Youth respects the decision made by Prime Minister Najib Razak for the seat to be given to MIC. Nevertheless, we hope the candidate chosen is one who is youth-friendly," he told a press conference after chairing a meeting of Umno Youth's executive committee at the Putra World Trade Centre today.
The Hulu Selangor seat was represented by MIC deputy president G Palanivel since 1990. He lost to Dr Zainal Abidin Ahmad of PKR by 198 votes in the general election in 2008.
The by-election is being held following the death of Zainal Abidin on March 25.
MIC leaders have unequivocally stated that it wants four-term Hulu Selangor MP Palanivel to re-contest the seat.
However, it appears that Umno prefers someone else as there are sections within the constituency which may not welcome Palanivel’s candidature.
While Khairy did not name who Umno Youth would want to be the BN contestant, other possible MIC candidates are deputy Youth chief V Mugilan, national information chief P Kamalanathan and secretary-general S Murugesan.
Nomination is April 17 and polling on April 25.
