Give young leaders a chance, says Fadillah

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DATUK FADILLAH YUSOF

KUCHING: PBB Youth wants its top leadership to consider giving more “room and chance” to young leaders of the party to serve at the federal level.

Its chief Datuk Fadillah Yusof said he and his men had discussed the issue, and while being grateful that president and Chief Minister Pehin Sri Abdul Taib Mahmud had been liberal on it, they hoped to see more young faces.

“We never request any specific seat; we are just requesting top leadership to consider youth leaders. For instance, if they want to field new faces, look among youth leaders.

“But still, we want to thank president Pehin Sri that many young leaders have been given the opportunity to serve,” he told a news conference after chairing the PBB Youth exco-meeting at the party’s headquarters at Jalan Bako near here yesterday.

Fadillah, who is Deputy Minister of Science, Technology and Innovation, pointed out that Taib had picked a couple of fresh faces in the state election last April.

Therefore, the movement was pretty confident that the state Barisan Nasional chairman would consider similar effort for the coming general election, he said.

As far as PBB Youth is concerned, Fadillah said members aged 45 and below were considered young.

Fadillah, who is also Petra Jaya MP, declined to state his interest whether to defend the constituency come the 13th general polls.

“I leave it entirely to the top leadership of Barisan Nasional. And if I am given the opportunity to serve, I will give my best to serve the state.”

Asked about support and responses at the grassroots level in his constituency, he said: “That you have to ask the people. You cannot ask me. If you want the reaction of the people, you have to ask them.”

Fadillah first contested in Petra Jaya in 2004. He retained the seat in 2008 after defeating PKR’s Mohamad Jolhi with a whopping majority of 14,397 votes. Fadillah garnered 19,515 votes.