PETALING JAYA, Aug 22 — Umno Youth chief Khairy Jamaluddin insists the soon-to-be-launched book on his father-in-law, former Prime Minister Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, will neither help nor frustrate his cause as he seeks to defend his post in the Umno elections in October.

“It’s not going to do either. It is clear it is not Pak Lah’s (Abdullah) book and he has already clarified that,” he said.

“I think the contents of the book speak about things the public has already been talking about all this while, things people have been speaking about me and the others.

“It’s nothing new and there’s nothing to it ... really.”

In the book “The Awakening: The Abdullah Badawi Years in Malaysia”, Abdullah was quoted as defending Khairy, saying his son-in-lawn was “not his adviser”.

“They provided administrative support and feedback but they were not policy-makers,” he said.

Abdullah claimed the personal attacks against Khairy and his colleagues were due to “resistance to change” and that Khairy, the youth and sports minister, had been “unjustly” and “unfairly” accused of many things.

He had, in the book, also stressed that his son, Kamaluddin, and Khairy did not benefit during his time in office.

Khairy, who came in for criticism over claims he was part of the “fourth-floor boys” during Abdullah’s tenure, has also been accused of having “planned” the launch of the book which featured comments against his arch critic, former Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad.

This led to Abdullah clarifying, among others, that he did not author the book, sponsor or seek publication of the book.

Khairy had over the weekend said he would defend his Umno post on receiving support from grassroots members.

While some claimed the book could aid the Rembau MP in his quest to defend his position in Umno, others believe the critics could use it against him.

Asked if it was difficult being him, the 37-year-old said: “I’ve never been anyone else (laughs). I am who I am.”

“Awakening” was jointly edited by political analysts Bridget Welsh and James Chin.