The wing, which will be known as Pergerakan Belia PBB, hopes to encourage these youths, who are now automatically registered as voters, to become members.

He added that the party could not just stand by and watch these new voters be roped in by opposition parties.

“We do not want to lose them to the opposition,” he said at the opening of the party’s youth and women’s wings’ triennial general assemblies here.

As of Dec 31 last year, the election commission said that the electoral roll for Sarawak has 1,927,750 voters, an increase of 675,077 new voters.

About 20% of the new voters are aged 18-20, while 45% are in the 21-29 age bracket with another 19.23% in the 30-39 age group.

Uggah said this means that 65% of the new voters in the state are aged 18 to 29.

“With 65% of the new voters aged 18 to 29, we cannot remain silent and allow them to be led by others.

“Their future is with us – PBB. We must generate programmes that fit their needs and interests. We have to invite them to join PBB,” he added.

“We also have to explain our political struggle to them.”

PBB secretary-general Alexander Nanta Linggi later told reporters that forming the wing was a “logical and appropriate step to take”.

He said a special committee had been formed earlier to look into the issues raised by the new youth voters.

Linggi added that the party’s main body, whose assembly is tomorrow and Sunday, will be presented with the proposals as well as the recommendations made by the committee.

“It is to see if there is a need to amend the party constitution for the new wing,” he said.

Linggi added, however, that the new youth wing would not be a formal entity but instead, it will just be part of PBB’s Pemuda wing.