It is logical for Khairy Jamaluddin to vie for the Alor Setar parliamentary seat in the next general election, according to its incumbent Chan Ming Kai.
The PKR lawmaker said the health minister had mentioned moving to Kedah albeit light-heartedly during a conversation in June this year.
“Back then, I texted him over some official matters. Then he joked he happened to be in Kedah for a ministerial function as well as to check if there is any place for him to contest in the state.
“I told him that if he comes to Alor Setar, I might consider staying as he is a great opponent,” he added.
Therefore, Chan said he was not surprised to read media reports that the incumbent Rembau (Negeri Sembilan) MP would contest in Alor Setar, which has been a traditional MCA seat.
Although he is popular, the PKR MP said it would be difficult for the minister to take over Umno’s current seats as he was not part of the party leadership.
He said if Khairy had influence in Umno, he could move to seats held by his father-in-law, former premier Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, such as Kepala Batas or Tasek Gelugor.
“However, Umno has warlords everywhere and they won’t let go of their seats. So now Umno grassroots would use big names like Khairy to grab seats that MCA or MIC cannot win,” he added.
Chan said it does not matter if Umno wins or otherwise because the party would not lose any of its seats.
However, he pointed out that a defeat could mean eliminating Khairy, who is considered a thorn in the flesh by some in Umno.
Seremban seat
Chan also pointed out that Khairy never expressed interest in contesting the Seremban seat as it was merely a suggestion from Umno’s division leaders.
While in Alor Setar, the Umno division grassroots have argued that an Umno candidate in Alor Setar compared to someone from MCA, which lost the seat to PKR in two consecutive polls, stood a better chance of winning.
The logic behind this is the racial composition of the seat - 64 percent Malay voters, Chinese (23 percent), Indians (seven percent), and others (six percent).
“Since Umno wants to seize MCA’s seat, in which the former has a higher chance of winning, why would Khairy contest in Seremban (which has a lower percentage of Malay voters compared to Alor Setar)?” said Chan.
The PKR MP likened Khairy's situation to former Johor menteri Abdul Ghani Othman, who contested in Gelang Patah during the 13th general election. This was a former MCA seat as well.
Asked if Khairy could be fielded in Port Dickson instead, Chan said it would not be a problem for Umno to take over the MIC seat in Negeri Sembilan.
However, he pointed out that the minister would have to face PKR president and opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim in a state under Pakatan Harapan’s control.
“If he wants to remain in Negeri Sembilan, then Tampin would be more suitable. But he would have to face the Umno warlords there,” he added.
Great opponent
On the same note, Chan said if Khairy moves to Kedah, then Harapan must adjust its election strategies accordingly.
“I concede that Khairy is a great opponent...His presence in Kedah would bring some hold-ups to us, especially if we are considering putting up a new face in Alor Setar,” he said.
Chan said Harapan Kedah has commenced seat negotiations in the state but no decision has been made as to whether he would defend the Alor Setar seat or be fielded elsewhere.
Last Monday, Khairy joked during a press conference in Langkawi that he was in the state to discuss with Kedah Menteri Besar Muhammad Sanusi Md Nor about contesting a seat in the state.
"My mother is from Kedah," he said when asked if he would consider contesting in seats other than Rembau.
Sanusi, who was next to the minister, quipped that he heard Khairy mention Alor Setar and that he welcomed the latter to contest in the state.
However, Khairy declined to elaborate on the matter.
Meanwhile, Alor Setar Umno deputy chief Zambri Mat revealed that the prospect of fielding Khairy in the seat was discussed “privately” during a recent meeting between Kedah Umno leaders. - Mkini
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