Najib house arrest will not sway young voters in Melaka, says Puteri Umno chief

KOTA LAKSAMANA – Young voters are capable of making independent political choices and should not be underestimated in deciding the outcome of the 16th Melaka state election, despite the controversy surrounding former prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak’s house arrest.

Puteri Umno chief Datuk Nurul Amal Mohd Fauzi said young voters, particularly first-time voters who may not have strong political affiliations, were increasingly knowledgeable about the country’s political landscape.

She said they would judge parties on their performance, services and election manifestos rather than be swayed by individual political controversies.

“Young voters do not belong to any particular political party. However, I believe they are already capable of assessing the political parties in this country and have made their own choices.

“On Nov 14, we will see young voters choosing the party they believe can continue Melaka’s development. Based on the manifestos presented by both Pakatan Harapan (PH) and Barisan Nasional (BN), they can make their own assessments.

“We should not underestimate them because these young people are silent voters who assess us not only based on our services but also on the bigger picture,” she told Sinar Daily.

Nurul said she was confident that young voters, who are increasingly educated and politically aware, would make the best decision for Melaka on Nov 14.

The series of by-elections and state elections held during the current political term, she highlighted, had given young voters greater exposure to political developments, enabling them to better assess parties and candidates.

“To all BN candidates, continue producing campaign content over these next two days, as this is the final push to win over voters, particularly young people,” she said when met at a restaurant in Kota Laksamana, Melaka, during the 16th Melaka state election campaign.

Najib was granted a conditional pardon in September, allowing him to serve the remainder of his prison sentence in the SRC International case under house arrest.

On Nov 10, the Kuala Lumpur High Court ruled that the former prime minister could serve the remainder of his sentence at his Langgak Duta residence, with immediate effect.

The Election Commission (EC) has set Nov 14 as polling day for the 16th Melaka state election, following the dissolution of the 28-seat State Legislative Assembly on Sept 23.

Nomination day was held on Oct 31, while early voting took place on Nov 10. The 14-day campaigning period will end at 11.59pm on Nov 13.

A total of 79 candidates are contesting all 28 state constituencies, with a coalition requiring at least 15 seats to secure a simple majority and form the state government.

BN is contesting 23 of the 28 state seats on Saturday.