Khairy's deft touch

Thus far, Khairy has shown that he has the ability to understand problems and issues, generate new ideas and command respect of people his age group. However, he has yet to deliver.

Before any of his cybertrooper come calling us Bangang, please do not argue organising of events or looking cool like any youngsters as part of his success. These days all one need to do is to have money and pay good event managers. Delivery for Khairy is to get results from his engagements.  

Politically, Khairy has come of age. He is listening and sizing up his move well. He seemed wiser in his views. As one Pak Lah supporter and this Dato happen to be related, there do not seem to be any other choices left. At least, that was how he seemed to be at the recent UMNO General Assembly.

He had been voicing for the "peremajaan" UMNO agenda but upon hearing the debate, he was quick to reposition himself. So the interpretation of "peramajaan" is neither turning UMNO into adolescent teens nor emphasis on more youth leader but rejuvenation. Deft touch Khairy.

Transformation deception?

Many UMNO express the cynical view that "peramajaan" UMNO and within the context of UMNO's political transformation, as said by Dato Hishamuddin during the winding-up speeches, was about backroom gameplan to confirm Hishamuddin and Khairy in the succession plan.

The last time UMNO talked out loud of the political transformation plan it was a complete disaster and money politics was at it's worst ever. The money for votes was not confined to within the division delegates but spread to the branches.

There were talks that party leadership and administration called Division chiefs directly instead of sending their men to help a certain candidate. There was as even involvement by a Sultan to campaign for a Vice President.

The new electoral college vote was easier to manipulate. All one need to do is take hold of the Division head. They control head of branches and phantom branches.

The transformation process should be done earlier but waited till party election time. Till today, many losing candidates have not heard their results.

UMNO should have done a major overhaul of election candidate in 2013 general election. New untainted faces and not merely young faces should have been offered. It is heard UMNO only learned of it now and wish to do so in the next GE14.

Hope it is not too late with only 2% left for the promise homeland for the opposition. Perhaps it is too late but that is UMNO, slow giant and fail to be far sighted and ahead of the game in it's move. The need to rejuvenate the party with new faces is long over due.

When he first became UMNO's Youth Leader, Khairy had pushed for more youth leaders. It started out as Khairy being denied his Ministership ahead of Dato Mukhriz and Dato Razali Ibrahim. The Puteri Chief was also without position in government.

To justify his Ministership, Khairy pushed for the agenda to bring in more youth. Off course, he also mentioned in passing the need to put young faces.

As of today, the youth generation of Hishamuddin and from the early days of Khairy have positioned themselves in the various Divisions and getting positions as elected wakil rakyat, holding positions in government and high positions in GLC.

Come next round of party election and that should be next year as requested by Tan Sri Muhyiddin they will be more of them and in a more secure position.

Power play and not policy and governance is everything in UMNO. That brought about a deep suspicion that it is a Hishmuddin-Khairy game to put their people in and subsequently make the assault for no. 2 and 3 in the party.  

Deft touch

Upon hearing the debates in the main assembly on "keremajaan", the suspicion on the ground was rearing it's head through the argument that "keremajaan" is not about age.

First VP Dato Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, who beat third VP Hishamuddin by a large distance, said it loudly during the winding up, "keremajaan' is not about age. There was a tad of disgust in his voice. While, another VP, Dato Shafee Apdal was merely interested in more allocation to secure more second liner support in UMNO Sabah to enable him to secure the CHm post.


And Khairy was quick to anticipate the situation and highlighted his position on "keremajaan" in his earlier winding up speech. NST reported below:

We must work together, says Khairy

NST, 29 November 2014 @ 4:01 PM

KUALA LUMPUR: Umno Youth chief Khairy Jamaluddin has stressed that the rejuvenation in party (peremajaan) is not about asking for posts.

He is worried that the topic which started on a good note is being misunderstood, a time bomb waiting to explode.

Khairy said Youth chiefs are being looked suspiciously by division chiefs.

"I would like to stress that rejuvenation is not just about age. The election in India, for instance, has proven that the older candidate who had used social networks, has beaten the younger one," he said.

"We must deserve it if we want to go up," he said adding that the young must work together along the veterans.

Astro Awani report elaborated below:

Call for party rejuvenation is not a 'coup' - Khairy Jamaluddin

Irwan Muhammad Zain, Astro Awani | Updated: November 29, 2014

KUALA LUMPUR: Party rejuvenation doesn’t translate to the youth in the party will snatch the power from the existing crop of older leaders who have been fighting for the party for the longest time,” said UMNO Youth Chief, Khairy Jamaluddin.

He expressed concern over the usage of the term, ‘party rejuvenation’ will only create a gap between the young and old leaders and inevitably leads to weakening the party.

Said Khairy, party rejuvenation doesn't constitute ages, but the capabilities of every layers of leadership in reviving youth imagination.

“As a leader, I’m concerned over the direction of this issue; I’m worried that it will create confusion – from a suggestion to strengthen the party it will only act as a ticking time bomb waiting to explode.

“There have been branch leaders viewed negatively by youth chief. Once embraced, today handshakes are tip of the fingers only. Rejuvenation doesn’t constitute age, it is wholesome. We aren’t asking older leaders to don pink sock, that isn’t authentic, that’s lunatic,” said Khairy.

“Rejuvenation should also be imposed on the older generation,” he said in his winding up speech delivered at the 68th UMNO General Assembly at Dewan Merdeka in Putra World Trade Centre, here today.

In his speech, Khairy also cautioned all UMNO Youth to equip themselves with quality criteria as they act as heir of party and at the same time, acts as a testimony of the superiority of its leadership.

“I’d say to UMNO Youth, don’t get carried away with the rejuvenation, we must be eligible. This isn’t a free lane, if not eligible means not eligible, if there’s ‘rezeki’, Alhamdulillah.

“That is what we understand, the manner the Malays respect the old,” he added.

More here.

More consoling. The Star report:

Published: Saturday November 29, 2014 MYT 4:44:00 PM
Updated: Saturday November 29, 2014 MYT 4:48:30 PM

Umno AGM: Emulate India's Modi, says Khairy

by d.kanyakumari AND dina murad

KUALA LUMPUR: The rejuvenation of Umno is not related to age but on how the party engaged the young, said Umno Youth chief Khairy Jamaluddin (pic).

Citing the recent Indian general election, Khairy said the 64-year-old Narendra Modi won against his younger counterpart because the Indian Prime Minister had a youthful approach.

"If you really study his campaign method, you will see that Modi used social media and paid a lot of attention to issues and policies relating to the young.

"He captured the imagination of the young and he truly reflected the meaning of rejuvenation," the Umno Youth chief said during his wrap up speech at the Umno General Assembly.

Khairy added that party president and Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak had also taken these steps.

"Our President - I apologise Sir - is already old but his Facebook followers are in the millions and his budget policies are youth friendly. He even takes selfies everywhere.

"Our secretary general has black hair, that too is rejuvenation. They don't need to use fitting clothes and pink like I do that is not authentic but lunatic," he said

He added that Umno Youth members were not greedy and stupid and they would like to work hand in hand with their seniors.

The Youth and Sports Minister said that rejuvenation also did not mean youth members overthrowing party seniors, but working together in solidarity for the party's future.

"I am afraid if I do not address this issue, it will be like a bomb waiting to explode. Why is such a long overdue and noble issue suddenly becoming a polemic that will weaken our party?" he said, admitting the call to rejuvenation would, at least by a little, change the relationship between the older generation and youths.

"Youths are looked at in a different way by their division leaders, some even treated coldly. I worry if this issue is left untouched, what started out as a good suggestion may ruin the party as there are differing understandings of what rejuvenation means," he said.

Khairy explained that rejuvenation did not mean that youth member were hungry for positions or candidacy, nor was it an attempt to usurp their seniors.

“But it is unity among all branches and levels of Umno in working together and providing opportunities for qualified and deserving youth members,” he said.

He also stressed that the call for rejuvenation was not to be used as a "free pass".

That is a statement of one confident person. 

-Another Brick in the Wall