KUALA LUMPUR, June 17 — Outgoing Umno Youth chief Khairy Jamaluddin confirmed this afternoon his application to contest for the party’s top post,
In an Instagram posting, he shared a photograph of his nomination form for the Umno presidency.
It has drawn over 31,700 “likes” within 45 minutes of its post on the photo-sharing platform.
In a subsequent post on his Facebook page, Khairy said that until a few days ago, he was adamant on contesting only the Umno vice-presidency, which he said he withdrew from just hours ago.
“But after thinking about the future and survival of Umno, I decided to contest the presidency because I want party members to have a choice on where Umno should go,” he wrote.
Earlier today, Khairy’s camp floated the idea that Rembau MP was making a tilt for the presidency, though sources told Malay Mail at that time that he had not sent in his nomination form.
Sources said Khairy may be hard-pressed for support after pinning all blame for Umno’s recent electoral losses on former president and prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak over the 1Malaysia Development Berhad embezzlement scandal despite being a member of the latter’s Cabinet.
Khairy will be up against at least three people for the post. Acting president Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi and Gua Musang division chief Tan Sri Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah have also confirmed their interest as well as a regular Umno member Rahmat Azim Abdul Aziz, though the latter’s participation is in doubt as the rules require prospective candidates to have been a supreme council member for at least a year.
The 42-year-old said he has the highest respect for Tengku Razaleigh and even met him a few days ago to encourage him to run for the post.
He also said he sees Zahid as a “big brother” who has frequently given him advice.
“Certainly I’m not as experienced as the other candidates. But I want delegates to be given another option that represents the transition generation in Umno.
“An option that at its principle sees how our party can be rebuilt according to the latest mould without forgetting its foundations,” he wrote.
Khairy said he was calling for Umno to return to its “original spirit” of inclusivity, openness, non-racist, non-sexist and which is responsive to the public and total physical overhaul.
He said the physical overhaul is a restructure of the party, to make it open all aspects.
“Open to contests. Open to criticism without fear of expulsion. Open to accepting new members without restrictions. Open to delegates who will decide who will lead Umno without the stranglehold of ‘warlords’,” he said.
The deadline for submission of office-bearers’ positions is today. A news conference is scheduled to be held on the issue later this afternoon.
