ALOR SETAR, June 16 — Kedah Umno Youth has urged party members to elect leaders in the coming elections based on rationale and justification.

Its chief Datuk Shaiful Hazizy Zainol Abidin said the criteria in the selection of leaders should be focused on restoring the party as a kingmaker or a competent opposition rather than on age or nostalgia.

"Kedah Umno Youth trusts that Umno members would choose wisely. Don’t be too eager about making changes, which could cripple the rehabilitation process.

"We advise members not to press the panic button without evaluating. It’s a fact that the political environment has changed and the party itself needs to change based on the prevailing new political developments.

"We have no qualms about accepting any leader as long as he can restore the party, reunite the grassroots and at the same time able to show real political transformation for the people to see,” he said in a statement today.

He said the outcome of the last general election gave a clear signal that Barisan Nasional and Umno were unable to depend solely on the members but must face the fact that the people outside of Umno were the ones capable of changing the political future. — Bernama