Umno leader says 'ignorant' young voters induced with KFC meals

Umno Supreme Council leader Nur Jazlan Mohamed has launched a scathing attack on those blaming Ahmad Zahid Hamidi over the party's humiliating losses in the just-concluded state polls, saying young voters rejected its candidates because they lacked political knowledge and were induced by free fast food meals.

He claimed that his own checks in Selangor revealed that young voters were ignorant about voting and about candidates or party logos.

"They would ask friends who to vote for, and their votes were motivated by money or a KFC treat after voting.

"I don't know who offered, but of course it was not Umno because we lost," the former minister said in a Facebook post defending Zahid in the wake of calls for him to step down as party president.

Nur Jazlan's comments reflect frustrations in the Umno ranks over a series of rejections from Malay voters, despite the party being part of the federal government.

Umno and its allies in Pakatan Harapan (PH) have frequently blamed the lack of Malay support on young voters being swayed by racial sentiments as well as being influenced by TikTok and social media contents.

A similar frustration was echoed by PKR secretary-general Saifuddin Nasution Ismail in February this year, when he said the youth who voted for Perikatan Nasional (PN) at last year's general election lacked higher education and a steady income.

At the six state polls on Aug 12, Umno, which was the sole party to represent Barisan Nasional (BN), was wiped out in Kedah and Terengganu, while winning only two seats in Penang and Selangor and one seat in Kelantan. The party only shined in Negeri Sembilan, winning 14 seats.

Overall, Umno won just 19 of the 108 seats it contested, with Malay voters overwhelmingly rejecting BN candidates in all six states.

Umno also won just two seats in Selangor, despite expectations that the party could deliver Malay seats to the PH-led state government.

It is the party's second disasterous election outing since it was trashed in the general election last year, which saw a surge of support for PN, the coalition that swept to power in Kedah, Kelantan, and Terengganu while capturing critical Malay seats in Penang and Selangor.

Nur Jazlan meanwhile blamed the leaders of Umno wings, saying they have failed to regain support from young voters since the 2018 elections.

"What have the wing leaders done all this time to attract the youth to support Umno? If it is just talking, anyone can do that, too," he added.