Collision course Sunday: Ibrahim Ali vs Khairy Jamaluddin

Malaysia Chronicle

A collision course is set for Sunday between Umno Youth Chief Khairy Jamaluddin and Perkasa chief Ibrahim Ali, who will share the stage at a political conference where race, patriotism and ideology can be expected to be hotly and vigorously debated.

Indeed bets are on that not only will sparks and saliva fly, 'street-brawler' Ibrahim Ali has already finalized battle plans on how to dissect, destroy and bury the Oxford-trained Khairy.

For months now, the Pasir Mas MP has nursed a burning anger towards Khairy, whom he and Perkasa patron Mahathir Mohamad blames for making Umno Youth a sissy in the race-championing game.

Perkasa is an ultra-Malay rights group formed early this year. It has grabbed headlines by making extreme statements that have repulsed many people in the multiracial country. Ibrahim has even called Khairy a traitor to the Malays.

Khairy has minced no words either, returning fire with fire and calling Ibrahim a jaguh kampong or village hero and gedebe oportunis or opportunistic thug.

“Of course not, I don’t think it will come to physical blow but verbal blows should be in plentiful supply. For myself, I will stay focused on the politics of ideology versus the politics of race,” Shah Alam MP Khalid Samad, who is the third speaker, told Malaysia Chronicle.

All three men will be speaking at the finale of the two-day Malaysia Student Leaders Conference, where many other prominent figures will also be attending.

Their session is entitled The Malaysian political mindset: Will politics of ideology trump that of race? To those going, it might be a good idea to bring along an umbrella!