UMNO YOUTH ASSEMBLY It is futile for Umno to rally behind the clarion call of "Hidup Melayu!" (Long live the Malays), if the party cannot take the Malay community forward, said Youth wing chief Khairy Jamaluddin.

"While there are those among us who feel that rallying behind 'Hidup Melayu' is sufficient, let us not take the same approach. 'Hidup Melayu' is a given - the question is: 'What kind of life do we want Malays to have?'

"Surely it is nobler for the Malays to live with dignity than in destitution. It is without question that the results and the effectiveness of our programmes are more important than sloganeering for the sake of it,” he added in his policy speech to Youth wing delegates this morning.

He said the wing - while having embraced a “platform of progressiveness” - has not forgotten the fundamentals of the party’s cause.

"To believe in a different and modern approach does not mean that Umno Youth is losing its identity or forgetting the Malay cause," he said.

Khairy also said Umno Youth must take a moderate and approach and appeal to every segment of society, instead of being a "pressure group" as in the past.

"It is not our intention to ridicule the old approach - when the youth wing was seen as a pressure group post-Independence.

"That approach was apt for such times - and it has brought success to Umno Youth in that era," he added.

Meanwhile, Khairy on behalf of Umno Youth also objected to the electricity tariff hike which was announced on Monday.

"The electricity tariff hike which is not consistent with the cost of energy will only benefit TNB and appears to give importance to shareholders, and not the people," he said.

"To TNB and other GLCs, Umno Youth urges not to pay so much attention to financial performance, the responsibility to the people must not be forgotten," he added.