The Umno Youth is calling for the 30 percent bumiputera equity to be achieved by the year 2020.

NONE “The 30 percent equity is our aspiration and it always has been. But now, we are still at a 21 percent.

"If we were to talk about becoming a high-income nation, it is meaningless if Malays are still lagging behind,” said Youth chief Khairy Jamaluddin Abu Bakar ( left ).

Therefore, he said the government should step up its efforts to achieve the equity in 10 years.

“I urge that since the idea of hitting the 30 percent equity was the brainchild of second prime minister Abdul Razak, let it be during his son’s rule that we can reach the finishing line by 2020.

“By then, we can be independent and throw away our crutches,” he said to applause.

Umno 'the only one'

Speaking at the Umno general assembly when wrapping up the youth debate, Khairy also said that the Umno brand needs to stick in the minds of the public that it is the only party able to bring development to the country.

NONE Saying that the institutions meant to develop the country and the Malay race are Umno “dividends”, he added that the party has contributed a lot to nation building but the young seem to have forgotten most of it.

“Like UiTM, the Yayasan Amanah Hartanah and the Malay special privileges - these are all what Umno had fought for but people seem to have forgotten about it," he said.

“They have to be reminded that this is the Umno dividend.”

He also said that the government has introduced many viable plans like the Economic Transformation Programme and the National Key Result Areas, but there is fear that people will forget that it is an Umno effort.

“They will forget that we too are trying to bring transformation to the people,” he said.

Suggesting the establishment of a structured party think-tank similar to the BN Youth Lab, Khairy said that Umno, at the same time, should also communicate with the young and the public in a more structured manner.

“There has to be active communication between top and bottom. This is so that people will know that Umno is the life of the vision and the aspiration of the people,” he said.

Youth joins Putrajaya battle-cry

NONE Taking a leaf out of the Umno president's policy speech at the opening of the party's 61st general assembly, the Umno Youth members are rallying around the PM with their battle-cries to defend Putrajaya at all costs.

Khairy, also the Rembau MP, reminded the delegates of his policy speech where he said that the Pakatan Rakyat is akin to the three-headed hound Ceberus.

“They will only fight with each other and fall in the end... And we will defend Putrajaya to the end,” he said

Puteri chief Rosnah Abdul Rashid Shirlin, in her wrapping-up speech, said that although young, they will be with the party and president to defend the fort of Putrajaya.

“Allow us to row the same boat to the island of success,” she said.