THE newly formed Barisan Nasional women’s youth wing, Azalea, will make Sarawak among its first destinations to build up the coalition’s grassroots machinery in the run-up to the 14th general election.

“I’m gladdened by the representatives sent from all over, nationwide. Today, we have representatives from SUPP (Sarawak United People’s Party) here at our launch,” Puteri Umno chief Mas Ermieyati Samsudin told reporters today.

Present at the press conference was SUPP Women’s chief Robin Kho Teck Wan.

Azalea was launched by Prime Minister Najib Razak at Lake Gardens in Kuala Lumpur, attended by some 3,000 members of BN component parties’ women’s youth wings.

Mas Ermieyati said BN had yet to have an official tally of Azalea members.

The wing is named after a flower that comes in many varieties and appearances.

Present were “friends of BN”, which are civil society organisations aligned with the ruling coalition, such as Pekema.

Mas Ermieyati, who heads Azalea, said the Bornean state of Sarawak represented a new avenue.

“We (Puteri Umno and Peninsular Malaysia BN component parties) are used to working together, in Negri Sembilan and Selangor.

“Sarawak will open up a new avenue for us. We will get the new data (on potential members). We will call them in.

“Although there are some components that have yet to form their own Puteri (women’s youth wing), we will invite representatives… so that they can assist BN (in facing GE14).”

She said a priority of Azalea would be to fend off “fake news” by the opposition.

“We will tell the people out there about what we have done, and we will educate the people to accept only real news. To not just accept what we read and see, but to check the validity of news.

“That will be one of our priorities.”

Mas Ermieyati, who is also deputy tourism and culture minister, said aside from engaging the youth, Azalea would also “check the support levels” enjoyed by BN at the grassroots level.

“We are strengthening the machinery to engage voters in preparation for the next election. I am confident that with the support given by the grassroots, it will fire up our spirit and dynamism.

“There will be no more silos,” she said, referring to component parties’ wings that are used to working alone. – January 20, 2018.