Young Candidates Need Opportunities To Gain Experience, Says Adam Adli

MELAKA, Nov 3 (Bernama) – The young candidates presented by the Pakatan Harapan (PH) in the 16th Melaka State Election need to be given the opportunity to enrich themselves with leadership experience, as well as to prove their ability to gain the trust of voters from various age groups.

Melaka PKR State Leadership Council acting chairman Adam Adli Abd Halim said that the selection of young candidates is not solely based on their position within the party but also takes into account representation from various demographics within the electorate, including aspects of race, gender and age.

"Younger candidates also need to be judged fairly, considering that some of them are contesting for the first time and may have different experiences and communication approaches compared to older candidates.

“If we do not start now, we will not be able to develop a more comprehensive experience for this group. Over the next five to 10 years, we hope they can accumulate experience, starting from now,” he said during a daily press conference and the launch of the manifesto for the Melaka election, themed 'Melaka Rumah Kita' at the PH Main Operations Room in Bukit Piatu here today.

Also present were the Melaka PH chairman Adly Zahari and deputy chairman Khoo Poay Tiong.

Adam Adli said that young people are often given the role of driving election campaigns, including putting up flags, distributing pamphlets and participating in campaign activities, therefore they should also be given the opportunity to be highlighted as candidates.

He said that the presence of young candidates does not automatically mean they will receive support from young voters because the political inclinations of that group are also influenced by family, peers, social media and societal views.

He said that young candidates need to be able to convince not only voters in their age group but also the older generation in order to gain the support of the community as a whole.

Meanwhile, Adly said that age is not the main measure of a candidate's ability; instead, the ability to understand local issues and offer solutions to the problems faced by the people should also be taken into account.

"Although they are young candidates, I think their roles and goals are the same, which is to see how we can help the people solve emerging problems or issues," he added.

The early voting for the 16th Melaka State Election is set for Nov 10, while the polling day is on Nov 14.

For the latest news on the 16th Melaka State Election, visit https://election.bernama.com/prn/melaka/2026/

-- BERNAMA