PETALING JAYA, Aug 22 — Khairy Jamaluddin is a name that needs no introduction.

Some hail him as a “reformist” and a hit among the youths while others cast him in a bad light, mainly due to his association with his father-in-law, former Prime Minister Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi.

Today marks Khairy’s (picture) 100 days in office as the youth and sports minister. The tech-savvy 37-year-old speaks to The Malay Mail’s HARESH DEOL on his new journey as a minister, balancing three different portfolios and what lies on the rocky road ahead of him.

The Malay Mail (TMM): Describe your 100 days in three words.

Khairy Jamaluddin (KJ): Hectic, fun and lots of listening. So many things came up the moment I stepped into office. There was the Festival Belia followed by the (football) bookies and the pitch issue (at the National Stadium in Bukit Jalil). There was hardly time to settle down but I like sports and dealing with youths. I’ve been listening a lot too as the first 100 days is about learning the ropes.

TMM: Some say you are too eager to make changes.

KJ: You would want to try and improve. I’m not saying we’ve not been doing a good job before but we need to progress. I talk to the stakeholders, listen and then I decide. At the end of the day decisions must be made and I am accountable for them.

TMM: You seem to be spending more time on sports than youth.

KJ: Sports get the headlines more than youth, probably because there is a section in the dailies dedicated to it. In fact when I say something on social media, I get more feedback when it is sports related than youth. But we’ve got a lot of youth programmes so there is a 50-50 balance between both portfolios. I represent the youth so I speak up for them ... like the PTPTN loan issue ... but some say I overstep (jurisdiction), and that I tend to shoot my mouth off...

TMM: But aren’t they just popular statements, like the PTPTN, the pitch...

KJ: If I don’t do it, who is going to do it? We don’t say things because of popularity, there is a reason behind such statements ... like the PTPTN. The popularity it receives is a by-product (of the statement).

TMM: You have stated you want to defend your Umno Youth chief position. Unlike before you are now a full minister. Wouldn’t this be taxing?

KJ: It was good I spent time as Umno Youth chief with no ministerial position as I managed to learn the job. Now I’m already in it, I am able to juggle between the two (Umno and ministry), so it’s not a problem really.

TMM: What’s next for you?

KJ: I think I’ve spent the last 100 days talking to various stakeholders and listening to what they have to say. Now it is all about implementation. We need to chart what happens for both youth and sports in the next five years ... assuming I don’t get removed in between (laughs). It is time to move forward and start making decisions for the greater good of the ministry.