KUALA PENYU: Sabahans are encouraged to resist falling for the political manipulation of certain local parties that advocate for narrow-minded ideologies and promote anti-Malaya racist beliefs in order to gain support from the community.
In light of this, Beaufort UMNO chief Datuk Awang Aslee Lakat asserted that such propaganda is not in line with the Unity Government concept and impedes initiatives to maintain national unity.
He hopes that the youth will prepare themselves with strong resilience and embrace a paradigm shift by cultivating qualities that can strengthen unity.
“A strong and resilient identity can help the youth build a defence against various unhealthy elements, including anti-Malaya racist narratives.
“Effective self-resilience is also believed to enable youth to quickly overcome difficulties and challenges they face during their challenging adolescent years,” he said.
Awang Aslee said this after officiating the Mixed Netball Tournament organised by the Beaufort Division UMNO Women’s Wing today.
According to him, the younger generation needs to be instilled with a healthy political culture, and UMNO is a suitable political platform for them to engage in politics.
“This is because UMNO not only fully opens up opportunities for the youth to showcase their talents and leadership qualities, but also has a complete organisational structure for them to develop their existing potential and leadership skills,” he said.
As such, he said that the youth should be given space to play a significant role in the development, politics, and economy of the country.
Awang Aslee also emphasised the importance of cooperation from the older generation in assisting the youth in shaping the future of the nation.
In line with this, he mentioned that the Beaufort Division UMNO also prioritises approaching the youth, as they are considered the main assets for the future development of the country.
“Some of our previous approaches may no longer be relevant to the current situation. It is time for us to move forward by opening up as many opportunities as possible for the younger generation,” he said.