Bersama targets 70pc candidates under 50, eyes youth push for Johor, N. Sembilan polls, says Rafizi

KUALA LUMPUR, June 15 — Parti Bersama Malaysia is aiming to field 70 per cent of its election candidates aged under 50, including for the upcoming Johor and Negeri Sembilan polls.

Free Malaysia Today reported that Bersama president Datuk Seri Rafizi Ramli said the party will also prioritise female representation, with efforts to field as many women candidates as possible.

“We need women candidates of calibre from the Malay, Chinese and Indian communities to join us,” he was quoted as saying during an event in Negeri Sembilan.

Rafizi also urged members not to dispute the party’s seat allocation process, stressing that candidates would be selected based on suitability rather than gender or ethnicity.

“Eligible candidates will be matched with the appropriate seats. Some seats are more suitable for Malay candidates, while others are suited to Chinese or Indian candidates. The process for this is quite complicated.

“There is still a 30 per cent allocation for candidates aged 50 and above, which is a sizeable number, especially if Bersama contests all seats,” he said.

He added that Bersama’s decision to remain outside political coalitions gives it flexibility to contest more seats.

The party, which was launched three weeks ago, has reportedly attracted about 25,000 members, none of whom are established political figures, Rafizi said.

He described the turnout as a strong early showing, saying he initially did not expect much interest when the party was formed.

“I thought only crazy people would join, because this party is going up against all the other parties and doesn’t have any big names,” he said.

Rafizi added that Bersama hopes to grow its membership to 50,000 if momentum continues.