KUALA LUMPUR, March 25 — Selangor Umno Youth are very hardworking and will even use their own money for party programmes though the state has funds for them, the wing’s deputy chief asserted.
Datuk Mat Nadzari Ahmad Dahlan said many people had misinterpreted his chief, Zainuri Zainal’s recent reported remarks that the state wing lacked funds to pursue the Barisan Nasional’s (BN) bid to regain control of PKR-led Selangor.
“Many were confused and misinterpreted. What was meant was that the Youth takes the effort and works hard until they are willing to sacrifice their own money.
“The meaning of their sacrifice is to that extent. But many misunderstood, he wasn’t complaining,” Mat Nadzari told ProjekMMO, Malay Mail Online’s sister publication in Bahasa Malaysia.
The Batang Kali assemblyman also refuted allegations that Selangor Umno had neglected its Youth wing, insisting that that were no communications or funding issues within the ranks.
“We have never neglected the wing leadership. We love our wings. Aid is distributed fairly, according to capacity and capability,” he said.
Malay daily Sinar Harian recently reported Zainuri saying Selangor Umno Youth was keen to take back the state but was hampared by a lack of funds.
He reportedly made comparisons and contrast for this campaign against the allocations made for the September 16 gathering in the national capital last year, claiming Youth leaders dug into their own pockets to get the red T-shirts that later became synonymous with their rally.
“The Red Rally, we issued the clothes, where did it come from? The Youth chief gave his own money to motivate the youths to attend,” Zainuri was quoted as saying.
A former Selangor Umno Youth leader Datuk Abdul Shukor Idrus said funding was never an issue during his time in office.
Abdul Shukor, who held the post for five years while Selangor was under BN control until it was replaced in 2008, said he was able to implement all the programmes in the state without a hitch.
“My experience as a Youth leaders, all the programmes that I carried out were conveyed to the state liaison [committee] and they would settle all my claims,” he told ProjekMMO when contacted.
Abdul Shukor who is now a Selangor Umno committee member declined further comment on the current funding controversy, saying he did not have any information.
“But if that is true, the state liaison must take action and must resolve this soonest possible because the Youth are the frontliners in the elections,” he said, of Zainuri’s reported remarks.
