KUALA LUMPUR, May 3 — Umno will adopt ‘out-of-the-box’ approaches, including non-verbal communication methods, to win over young voters who now form the majority in the country’s political landscape.
Its president, Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, said this reality must be acknowledged, as voters below 40, including those under the Undi18 initiative, are more open-minded and no longer bound by party loyalty alone.
“They are very open in their thinking, and they do not necessarily choose parties. They choose candidates and those who can deliver agendas that matter to them, and what they stand to gain from the candidates they support,” he said in a special interview in conjunction with Umno’s 80th anniversary celebration here today.
Ahmad Zahid said the strategy is crucial as voting trends have shifted, with voters increasingly assessing candidates based on service delivery and personal credibility rather than the political party they represent.
On the 16th General Election (GE16), Ahmad Zahid, who is also Barisan Nasional (BN) chairman, did not rule out contesting solo but remained open to cooperation to avoid overlapping seats with parties in the Unity Government coalition.
The deputy prime minister said the current political reality makes it difficult for any single party or coalition to emerge dominant and form a government on its own without support from others.
“That is why I mentioned the possibility of going solo. It does not mean we reject cooperation. We may still work together to avoid seat overlaps even if we contest on our own. In this matter, we are not rejecting any coalition partners,” he said.
Reflecting on the hung Parliament situation following GE15, Ahmad Zahid described the formation of the Unity Government as a reality that must be accepted in the interest of national stability, despite initial perceptions surrounding the cooperation.
“Such a situation may arise again, and I do not see any coalition in GE16 becoming dominant enough to form a government on its own. That is a reality we must acknowledge,” he said. — Bernama
Date: 3 May, 2026 5:00 pm
Source: Malay Mail
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