KJ conundrum - reinvented messiah or opportunist?

In last year’s general election, some Pakatan Harapan supporters were beating their chests and talking about voting for Umno’s Khairy Jamaluddin in Sungai Buloh.

It seemed almost understandable as incumbent MP R Sivarasa had been unceremoniously dumped and PKR was fielding R Ramanan, a man with a MIC past to boot.

Khairy had also done a good job in getting Malaysians vaccinated, first with the science, technology and innovation portfolio, then as health minister.

Nonetheless, I did sound a note of caution that Khairy has let down his multi-racial urban supporters in the past.

So starved are we for talent, it seems, that his ability to speak fluent English is already half the battle won. But the thing is that he never stood up firmly enough against the divisive racial politics that have dogged this country for much of its existence.

That’s why I was not surprised to hear that he is considering an offer to join the right-wing Malay-first Perikatan Nasional (PN) coalition of PAS and Bersatu.

Indeed, former prime minister Muhyiddin Yassin said that Khairy would be offered a Bersatu supreme council post if he decides to join the party.

The HotFM DJ has said that he will answer soon but, in the meantime, his next destination is anyone’s guess.

He has even joked about forming a party with former Bangi MP Ong Kian Ming and publicly posed the question to ChatGPT.

But why is a forward-looking politician even considering such a backward step? Surely, it must occur to him that the right-wing PN coalition is going to send our country spiralling in the wrong direction?

Former Bangi MP Ong Kian Ming

What we really need now is someone who will rise above the fray and drag our country kicking and screaming into a competitive and progressive future.

PN and PAS, in particular, are not the answer, Khairy.

When he first appeared on the scene in Umno Youth, he did seem like an urbane intellectual but when there were indications of unpopularity with the right-wing grassroots, he changed his tune and played to the gallery.

Indeed, he flirted with the hateful narratives and gestures of previous Umno Youth reprobates like Harun Idris, Najib Abdul Razak, and Hishammuddin Hussein before him.

Also, it wasn’t too long ago that he refused to take questions from Malaysiakini and his team asked our reporter to leave - in two separate incidents in 2017.

So why then am I still hopeful that Khairy wakes up and does the right thing? To help steer Malaysia back? To make the difficult choice because, in the long run, it’s what the country needs?

I guess it’s because we are still at a long-drawn-out crossroads as we transition from a single-party dominance to a vibrant democracy.

We need leaders to wake up to a new reality and help draw the masses towards it.

In short, we need all the help we can get. Khairy is one of those leaders who can be a barometer of change and I would be fascinated to see a reinvented progressive Khairy carving out a new direction.

The ball’s in your court, sir. Don’t blow it. - Mkini

---

Martin Vengadesan is associate editor at Malaysiakini.