Puteri Umno is a lost movement as it hibernates in its cocoon oblivious to the current political ‘unrest’ where Umno and its leaders being attacked in every corner. The movement seems to be out of touch with the reality and the youngsters who are first time voters in the coming general election, estimated around 3 million.
Under the leadership of Rosnah Shirlin in 2009, the movement has not made much impact or in fact, hardly heard in the country’s vigorous political scenario as its existence is not mentioned much, what more about its activities. The movement was set up to engage with youngsters particularly women who are in college, working and who are politically lost in the wilderness of the country’s politics, whose age is below 40, to be more specific below 35 and who just entered college or left school.
Puteri Umno’s presence is no longer felt since 2008 general election and it does not seem to touch base since then, unlike when it was headed by Azalina Said where it always hold the limelight despite being flanked by its sister movement Wanita Umno. The movement’s failure in engaging with the youngsters had probably got Umno president Najib Tun Razak himself to reach out to the youngsters through the alternative media such as facebook, twitter and so on.
The movement is also silent when Najib was heavily shelled by the oppositions on make-believed issues which created doubts in the minds of youngsters as to his and the government’s credibility and image. Puteri movement is just not there to help defend nor counter aimed at helping the party president to move forward in his transformation programs without having to look behind or blocking the onslaughts.
The movement also does not seemed to make much use of the new media such as blogs or portals to reach out to the females youngsters and engage intellectually to attract them to Umno and Barisan Nasional (BN). Puteri’s ‘silence and sleeping mode’ has created a void or vacuum where young voters, mainly females began to forget about Umno as they continue being fed with opposition’s accusations in the new media.
Puteri’s failure to engage the youngsters through the new media have given the oppositions the much needed space to do their psy-war without hindrance and competitions. Puteri, whose members comprised intellectuals and computer savvy females have actually lost the chances or opportunities to engage with the youngsters during Umno’ low-period beginning 2008.
The movement just did not have the leadership capability and minds on how to reach out to the youngsters during that period using the new media and such technology such as facebook and so on. The movements failure has somewhat shift the youngsters political inclination towards the opposition in one way or another as the onslaughts on the new media seem effective in attracting them to their side.
The movement is now not seen as a force except just a follower waiting for instruction as it cannot move on its own for reasons best known to them. Given such background, this assembly is the time for the movement to make itself visible and relevant again given the present political scenario is for the young people and the young minds.
The movement should change its ‘inferiority complex’ against its sister the Wanita movement as Puteri is supposed to be the frontline to engage with the youngsters and new media. The movement need to be more aggressive in the current political scenario to enable Umno and BN to withstand the onslaught of the oppositions as Najib cannot fight a lone battle in the fast changing political trend.
He needs help from all the movements in the party and Wanita Umno does not seemt o be of much help with its chief Sharizat Abdul Jalil caught in the NFC controversy. As such, it is up to Puteri to stand up and be seen and counted as a force that can be depended on from now as the general election is just around the corner.
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