KUALA LUMPUR: Pahang Umno Youth chief Mohd Shahar Abdullah, who is also Paya Besar Member of Parliament, is set to contest for the party’s Youth Chief position in the coming Umno election.
Mohd Shahar said the decision was made to help the party regain its strength to transform for the sake of the people.
Mohd Shahar said the future Umno leadership, who are faced with numerous challenges, need not only faith but but also have the ability to transcend demographics and secure platforms on all levels.
He said elected leaders should bring the voices of the grassroots and party as the opposition in the Dewan Rakyat.
“In this matter, I humbly offer myself to contest for the Umno Youth position as not only am I from the Youth ‘factory’, I am also young yet experienced enough to have managed Umno matters in Pahang.
“Replacing a leaders as respected and well-regarded as Khairy Jamaluddin Abu Bakar is not something easy but it is a responsibility I am willing to shoulder.
“In order to preserve the continuity of the party, we need good leaders and cannot depend only on one person,” he said.
Apart from Mohd Shahar, a number of Umno leaders have thrown their hat into the ring. To date, the other contenders are deputy Umno Youth chief Khairul Azwan Harun; former Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Datuk Dr Asyraf Wajdi Dusuki; Sungai Besar Umno chief Datuk Seri Jamal Md Yunos; and Pusat Bandar Taman Cempaka Umno Youth information chief Syed Rosli Jamalullail Syed Harman.
Mohd Shahar had won the Paya Besar parliamentary seat in the 14th General Election with a 5,742-vote majority. He garnered 19,033 votes, defeating PKR’s Mohd Ashraf Mustaqim Badrul Munir who obtained 11,776 votes, and Pas candidate Mohd Azhar Mohamad Nor, who received 13,291 votes.
Meanwhile, at an event in KL on Wednesday night, the Pahang Umno liaison unit agreed to nominated former Rural and Regional Development Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabry Yaakob for the party’s vice-presidency in the election.
Pahang Umno also nominated its liaison unit deputy chairman, Datuk Seri Mohd Shakar Shamsudin; Kuala Krau Umno chief Datuk Seri Ismail Mohamed Said, and Lipis Umno chief Datuk Abdul Rahman Mohamed for the party’s Supreme Council positions.
However, Pahang Umno liaison unit chairman Datuk Seri Adnan Yaakob, and Pahang Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Wan Rosdy Wan Ismail both chose not to contest for any positions this time.