PAPAR: Parti Gagasan Rakyat Sabah (Gagasan Rakyat) Youth Wing is setting its sights on fielding new and younger candidates for the upcoming 17th State Election.
Gagasan Rakyat Youth Vice Chief Azrul Ibrahim said the move is intended to bring a fresh perspective and balance to the composition of the State Legislative Assembly.
“At the Gagasan Rakyat level, our Youth Chief has repeatedly expressed the intention to provide opportunities to new and young candidates,” Azrul told reporters after a Gagasan Rakyat Youth Leaders Zone meeting in Beringgis, here, Sunday.
He said these “new candidates” referred to both political newcomers as well as those who may be new to be nominated as election candidates.
“What is certain is that they will present new faces of young people to balance the composition of people’s representatives and leaders in the State Legislative Assembly,” he said.
Azrul said that the Gagasan Rakyat Youth had identified several areas to field these new, younger candidates, including the Pantai Manis constituency.
“If in Pantai Manis there are new and young candidates that can be fielded, we will field them,” he said.
He said that Gagasan Rakyat, as part of the Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS) coalition, was committed to contesting as many seats as possible and nominating candidates, especially youth.
Ahead of the polls, Azrul said the youth wing had been actively implementing various strategies to win over voters, particularly the youth demographic across Sabah.
“We have started mobilising officially and implemented various programmes. Last year the Gagasan Rakyat Youth toured all 73 divisions in Sabah, including the division in Labuan,” he said.
“From our initial findings, youths in particular place very significant trust in the Gagasan Rakyat and GRS,” he added.
