Barisan Nasional Youth should work to maintain goodwill and ties, and cast aside differences in order to ensure a huge win in the 14th General Election (GE14), said BN Deputy Chairman Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi.

Zahid, who is also the Deputy Prime Minister, said to achieve this objective, BN Youth must be united and move as a team to wrest Parliamentary and state seats held by the opposition.

"We must know our friends in the BN component parties and must act as one team because these ties will be bonding for us.

"If there are any differences of opinion, any problems between us, set them aside and be united so as to gain victory for BN. We must cast aside racial, religious and ethnic differences," he said in his speech at the launch of the Barisan Nasional Youth Expo (Aman BN) and Job Fair UTC @ Aman BN Perak held at Dataran Bandaraya Ipoh here today.

Also present were Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Dr Zambry Abd Kadir, Perak BN Youth chairman Khairul Azwan Harun and leaders of the component parties, as well as about 15,000 visitors.

Ahmad Zahid said in Perak's case, BN Youth must learn from the tragedy when the state BN lost power for 11 months during GE12.

"The 11 months were enough for us to learn, to feel the pain, we are lucky that Perak has leaders like Datuk Seri Zambry. When the Prime Minister (Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak) signals (the start of) the general election, Perak will become Barisan Nasional''s," he said.

Ahmad Zahid said he wiould study the BN DNA within UMNO Youth to strengthen it as well as the other component parties like MIC, MCA, Gerakan, Parti Barisan Kemajuan, India SeMalaysia (IPF), MyPP and Makkal Sakti.

"The effort to retain and regain (the state and Parliamentary seats), we must focus on the supporters who form the DNA for Barisan Nasional and attract our friends to be with us," he said.

The event organised by the Perak BN Youth together with the Amanjaya Career Centre and JobsMalaysia Perak is aimed at instilling the spirit of togetherness for the BN-led government and youths who are the pulse of the nation's future.

The one-day event is held from 10 am until 11.30 pm, with programmes for job searches, skills training, entrepreneurial funds aid, housing schemes, sports activities, arts and entertainment.

About 100 exhibition stalls are set up for visitors with more than 5,000 jobs offered by various companies and industries, activities including netball and sepak raga matches, as well as free haircuts and food from food trucks.

-- BERNAMA