"Malaysian PM's Leadership Gives Young People New Hope of Better life"

KOTA BELUD (Sabah,Malaysia), July 7 (Bernama) -- The leadership of Prime Minister Najib Razak has given young people in the country a new hope of a better life in the future, said Sabah Umno deputy liaison chief Salleh Said Keruak. Citing the RM100 (US$31.52) assistance to students and RM200 (US$63.04) book vouchers for students of public higher learning institutions as an example, he said the younger generation, including the educated ones, hailed the various policies introduced by Najib since he took over the helm of the country. "Apparently, Najib's policies have benefited the young. They see his (Najib) policies as practical for implementation in line with the government transformation agenda," he said in his speech when opening the Kota Belud Puteri Umno Kota convention, here, Saturday. In this respect, Salleh, who is also State Legislative Assembly Speaker, called on young people, including members of Puteri Umno, to understand and explain to other young people the government's policies, particularly Najib's mission to transform Malaysia into a developed and high-income nation by 2020. He said their acceptance was crucial for the National Front (Barisan Nasional-BN) as young voters made up more than 40 per cent of the electorate in the next general election. "They could be the ones determining the success of the BN government in future," he said. In this respect, he urged Puteri Umno to focus on their efforts to connect with the hearts and minds of the young ones, especially the first-time voters, to ensure BN's victory in the next general election. Meanwhile, Salleh wanted the Kota Belud Umno Women to continuously champion and protect government and party leaders from the slander of the opposition. -- BERNAMA