SHAH ALAM, April 29 — Former Umno Youth leader Khairy Jamaluddin said he was faced with the choice of risking either speaking out in Umno, or attempt to bring change from within the party during the tenure of its former president Datuk Seri Najib Razak.
He said at the time, whoever publicly opposed Najib at the time would have ended up being sacked just as then-deputy president Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin was in June 2016.
“However, it did not mean the Youth (wing) would have kept silent. Back in 2015, we raised the issue of 1MBD more than once,” Khairy said during Karangkraf’s Bicara Minda session.
The Rembau MP told moderator Tan Sri Johan Jaafar that subsequent to Muhyiddin’s dismissal, he met with Najib several times to inform him the issue is a big problem for many.
“He promised to solve the debts (of 1MDB) but it could not be solved since there was not enough time to rectify the situation. So eventually we had to accept the rakyat’s decision to reject us (in the 14th general election).
“From the perspective of outsiders, everyone in the government and Umno’s Supreme Council were seen as apologists for the leaders,” he said.
However, such a view denies the fact that there were constant discussions in the Cabinet and Supreme Council over the matter.
“Many times, it was raised and discussed in both places. Not to mention the perception of blind loyalty among the party’s rank-and-file members.
“I admit this is true in some respect, but for many of us we had to consider Umno’s internal discipline. We did not want any sort of criticism from within to spill outside,” Khairy said, adding that such members tried their best to function as a sort of conscience for the party.
Given the choice between stressing on things aggressively and getting fired as a result, to trying to bring about change from within, he said he chose the latter.
“Looking back, I suppose it would have been better to be fired, since that seems to get you in the government now.
“But I chose to stay because at the time I truly felt that BN and Najib are the best choice to lead and run the country,” Khairy said.
