KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 18 — Datuk Mukhriz Mahathir has benefited from having a famous father as he made his way up the ranks in Umno over the past decade, but analysts think he may need to leverage more on his relative youth in his push for a vice-presidential seat.

The youngest son of former party president and ex-prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamed is making a bold move for one of the three coveted positions, which is typically a springboard towards the party presidency.

But when the more than 144,000 qualified delegates cast their votes tomorrow, the 49-year-old Mukhriz may want to make it clear that he comes from a new generation of leaders to propel the country’s biggest political party of 3.4 million members forward.

“If Mukhriz wins, it would be more on the freshness and youth (age) rather than a continuation of Dr M,” political analyst Khoo Kay Peng told The Malay Mail Online, referring to Dr Mahathir.

The push for a fresh face among the party’s second tier leadership was evident among some senior party leaders, most notably former domestic trade and consumer affairs minister Tan Sri Shahrir Abdul Samad, who was quoted by state news wire Bernama as saying that a win by Mukhriz would encourage more young leaders to come forward in service of the party.

Malay daily Sinar Harian, however, argued that support for Mukhriz would be indicative of support for Dr Mahathir, in turn limiting party president Datuk Seri Najib Razak’s ability to forge ahead with his reform agenda.

Analysts have previously said that Mukhriz’s rise in the party is seen as a bid to return Umno to a more conservative brand of leadership, which Dr Mahathir had perpetrated over the course of his 22 years in power.

The 88-year-old continues to wield considerable influence in the party, though both father and son have denied any attempts at creating dynastic rule in Umno.

The benefits of being Dr Mahathir’s son, however, are apparent for Mukhriz.

In a relatively short span of around 10 years of active politics, Mukhriz, has achieved what many could only dream of — appointed deputy minister at the federal level for a few years before holding the reins of an entire state as Kedah Mentri Besar after Barisan Nasional succeeded in taking it back from Pakatan Rakyat in the May 5 general elections.

He managed to get all this without actually holding any posts at the party’s national level, having lost in his attempt to lead the Youth wing in their last elections in 2009.

But to get in the party’s big leagues, Khoo said Mukhriz needs to start stepping out of his father’s shadow and stand his ground on issues, especially those that matter to party members.

“It does help, being the son of Dr M. But the delegates may be looking for leaders who can bring in more ‘steel’ and strong leadership in the party too. Someone like Zahid,” Khoo said, referring to one of the three incumbent vice-presidents, Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi.

“If anything, Mukhriz is colourless. His political stand is not clear,” Khoo added.