KUALA LUMPUR, July 25 — Khairy Jamaluddin turned down three offers to hold leadership posts in Umno and Barisan Nasional (BN) both before and after the Umno elections, party president Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said today.
Zahid told reporters in Parliament that he had initially offered Khairy, the former party Youth chief, the chance to contest the deputy president’s post while the former contested the president post.
“But he turned that offer down and said he wanted to only contest vice-president post. But eventually, he contested the party presidency,” Zahid said.
However, after Khairy lost the three-cornered presidential polls to Zahid, the latter said he offered the Rembau MP the role of BNsecretary-general, which he also turned down.
“After that, I offered him the post of Umno information chief but he turned it down,” he added.
Zahid said that Khairy probably has “his own plans” to revive Umno.
He also confirmed meeting his other presidential election rival, Tan Sri Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah, to discuss ways to bring the party forward.
“I don’t believe in the concept of winner takes all. I will negotiate something with him,” he added.
