(Bernama pic)PETALING JAYA : Barisan Nasional’s (BN) recent success in retaining the Kinabatangan parliamentary seat and Lamag state seat shows the need to field young candidates in the next general election (GE16), says newly-elected Kinabatangan MP Naim Kurniawan Moktar. Naim, 32, said voters today focused on candidates’ personality and competence, not just party affiliation. “Young candidates are important. If they have limited individual skills, they will need help from the start,” he said, adding that Sabah Umno had prioritised young candidates from the beginning. Naim also acknowledged that most young BN leaders flopped during the November state elections, attributing this to weak workflow and negative perceptions of the national party at the time.