Bersatu deputy president Mukhriz Mahathir said that although his father and party chairperson Dr Mahathir Mohamad may be old, the coming general election will hopefully focus on the party's youth members.

In an interview with Free Malaysia Today, Mukhriz pointed out the party’s base comprises youths.

“We have a 92-year-old chairperson. But other than that, if you look at our grassroots, they are very young,” he was quoted as saying. 

He said his hope is the majority of Bersatu candidates will come from the ranks of the youth, in line with its image as a political outfit for the young.

Bersatu is a splinter party formed after discontent over the 1MDB scandal caused a rift in Umno in 2016.

Insights from GE13

Mukhriz, who was the former Kedah menteri besar, said contesting with Umno in the last general election has given him some valuable insights for the coming polls.

Personality, he said, was a key component in winning over voters, citing how naming him as the Kedah MB in waiting had helped win over even PAS supporters, whom he claimed had backed Umno’s Bukit Kayu Hitam candidate Ahmad Zaini Japar as a result.

In the 13th general election, Umno reclaimed the state from Pakatan Rakyat’s PAS Kedah government.

“They look at the personality and not just the party,” Mukhriz said.

He told FMT he hopes to field candidates from the younger generation, women, and those with experience in certain fields.

The lineup, he said, would represent future excos and their expertise for various portfolios. 

“This is so that voters can see the whole package we are proposing. This means these candidates will need to win so the state can get the best out of the new government.”