PETALING JAYA – Winning the support of the 14,000 youth voters in Ayer Kuning will be crucial for Barisan Nasional’s (BN) bid to retain the Perak state seat, said MIC deputy president M Saravanan. He stressed that BN’s election machinery must be strengthened to secure the backing of young voters, who could emerge as kingmakers in the upcoming by-election.
“Fortunately, the Tapah BN Youth division has consistently organised youth-focused programmes. Tapah is the only parliamentary constituency in the country that has initiated youth development efforts at the school level,” he said after attending a meeting in Tapah, as reported by Utusan Malaysia.
Saravanan explained that these initiatives continue beyond school, benefiting students as they reach Form Five through various youth development programmes.
The Ayer Kuning seat was declared vacant following the death of Umno assemblyman Ishsam Shahruddin on February 22. Ishsam, who also served as the Tapah Umno chief, secured the seat in the 15th General Election with a 2,213-vote majority in a five-cornered contest. To consolidate support, BN will ramp up its programmes throughout Ramadan, particularly targeting Malay voters.
“In the past four elections, Malay voters have consistently given us strong support, making this constituency a BN stronghold. We have continuously contributed to the people of Ayer Kuning, regardless of religion, not just during elections,” Saravanan said.
He expressed confidence that BN’s close ties with the local community would once again secure the mandate of Malay voters in the state constituency. Also present at the event were MCA deputy president Mah Hang Soon and Tapah Umno acting chief Khairul Azmi Ghazali.