Umno Youth chief Khairy Jamaluddin today announced that he will defend his position in the upcoming party polls.

He made the announcement during his open house function at Kampung Gadong, near Seremban, Negeri Sembilan.

"After consulting my Umno Youth colleagues, I am requesting for one more term because there is work still to be done and my struggle unfulfilled," he said.

Khairy was elected Umno Youth chief in 2008. The election will be held in October.

According to Bernama , Khairy, in making his announcement, said that Merdeka Centre research found that 54 percent of Malay voters aged 21 to 30 voted for the BN.

"So our focus now is to ensure this trend can be improved, not only among Malay voters from this age (21 to 30 years) but also up to 40 years and include non-Malay voters, from the Chinese, Indian, Kadazan, Iban and others communities as well.

"This needs continuity, and I have put in place a plan since four years ago so that Umno Youth and BN become more relevant to the younger generation and their tastes," he was quoted as saying.

He said that his new role as youth and sports minister has also exposed him to the challenges faced by Malaysian youths, and as such, believes there is more that needs to be done.