KUALA KUBU BAHARU: Age should not be a criterion in contesting an election, says Pakatan Harapan's Pang Sock Tao.
Responding to questions about her perceived lack of experience — given that she's much younger than her opponents in the Kuala Kubu Baharu by-election — Pang said age should not stop anyone from pursuing their dreams.
"The reason why I am contesting this by-election is to bring change to the lives of the people here.
"I want to bring in mature politics, where the emphasis is on local issues, and fulfilling the promises in our manifesto.
"I want to empower the youth to organise more initiatives focused on training, (such as) technical, or leadership training.
"This is to give them more exposure to the outside world and allow them to gain valuable experience through campaigns, camps, or initiatives that will be planned later," she said at the Jalan Besar Pekan Kerling PH operations centre.
Pang expressed confidence that PH will retain the Kuala Kubu Baharu seat and carry on the legacy of the late Lee Kee Hiong, its three-term assemblyman, who died on March 21 after battling cancer for a few years.
Lee, 58, had been the Kuala Kubu Baharu assemblyman under the Hulu Selangor Parliamentary constituency, since 2013.
"You can see the spirit of unity here, when PKR and Barisan Nasional leaders came down to help, and share their (campaigning) strategies throughout these six days," said the DAP member.
Pang also gave a preview of her manifesto to the Kuala Kubu Baharu constituents.
"The manifesto will be based on four core pillars – the economy, the environment, people's welfare, and culture and heritage," she said.
The Kuala Kubu Baharu by-election is the seventh to be held after the 15th General Election (GE15) in 2022.
The electoral roll for the Kuala Kubu Baharu by-election lists 40,226 voters, comprising 39,362 regular voters, 625 policemen, 238 armed forces personnel and their spouses, and one overseas absentee voter.