Khairy’s choices: killer Seremban, Port Dickson or a mixed seat

 

Khairy Jamaluddin, three-term MP for Rembau, has said he might not be able to contest the coming general election. (Facebook pic)

PETALING JAYA: Former Umno Youth chief Khairy Jamaluddin is still an asset to the party and is unlikely to be dropped for the next general election, say analysts.

Oh Ei Sun of the Singapore Institute of International Affairs said it would be wasteful of Umno not to field Khairy, while Azmi Hassan of Akademi Nusantara said the party would be left with a negative perception.

Azmi told FMT that Khairy had performed well in his stint as the science, technology and innovation minister, in which he took on the mammoth task of the national Covid-19 immunisation programme, and currently as the health minister.

“Though he is sort of aloof, going against the president (Ahmad Zahid Hamidi), overall he’s an asset for Umno, especially in attracting neutral voters,” said Azmi.

-ADVERTISEMENT-

Ads by 

“Khairy is not as vocal in going against the president’s wishes, compared to the likes of (Ketereh MP and former BN secretary-general Annuar Musa).”

Oh said Khairy brought a much-needed reformist image to the table for Umno, something much-needed for the party for attracting fence-sitters.

However, he noted that there was a potential of Khairy facing the axe since he was not favoured by the “mainstream faction” in Umno.

Khairy had said he might not be able to contest the next general election after being told to “make way” for Umno deputy president Mohamad Hasan in Rembau.

“It’s okay. Worst-case scenario, I won’t contest,” said Khairy, who has been Rembau MP for three terms.

Azmi said Khairy could contest almost any parliamentary seat in Negeri Sembilan as he “can adapt very naturally”.

However, Azmi and Oh agreed that seats like Seremban would amount to political suicide as it was most likely he would have to face DAP secretary-general Loke Siew Fook, who has been MP since 2008.

Azmi said an option for Khairy was to go for Port Dickson but only if opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim decides not to seek re-election there.

Should Anwar contest elsewhere, there was a good chance for Khairy to regain Port Dickson for Umno, Azmi said.

Oh said Khairy stood a chance in many of the mixed seats, as his performance as cabinet minister since 2020 had been well-received by most Malaysians. - FMT