Umno Youth head Khairy Jamaluddin has urged the National Security Council and Defence Ministry to conduct an audit and upgrade all their facilities, to be better able to detect incidents of espionage by foreign nations.

He said this should be done even though the Foreign Affairs Ministry has declared the Singapore spying case "closed".

NONE "We can denounce (the situation) and respond to other countries, but if we can't even detect (espionage) due to our technology and capabilities (being) far behind, then there's no point," he said after opening the Umno wing’s annual general assembly today.

On party matters, Khairy - who is serving his second term as Youth chief - said he is putting in place a cadre system to ensure that his successors continue with centrist and progressive politics.

"I won't be here forever, I am already 37. So if we don't start now to get the 20-somethings, the young professionals, young ulama and professionals ...," he said.

NONE He also stressed that the focus "contemporary politics" does not mean that Umno sidelines the struggle of Malays and Muslims.

As such, he said the Youth wing is keen on holding dialogues with PAS, as it is the second- largest party championing Islam in the country.

Khairy, who explained this is intended to address anxieties over religious issues felt by Muslims, said the wing will wait for the central leadership's cue.

"We don't want to meet with PAS Youth and then find out that the same is not (being) done on the top," he added.