GE15: 'Underdog' KJ to launch special manifesto for Sg Buloh next week

Khairy Jamaluddin (centre, wearing garland) smiling for a group photo with leaders of Sungai Buloh Barisan Nasional component parties and Friends of Barisan Nasional at an event in Kota Damansara, Petaling Jaya.

BARISAN Nasional’s Sungai Buloh candidate Khairy Jamaluddin has promised to launch a special manifesto for the parliamentary seat next week.

“This manifesto, called Kata Janji Sungai Buloh (Promises for Sungai Buloh), will feature special commitments from me to each of the localities within this constituency, such as Kampung Melayu Subang and Paya Jaras.

"This shows that Barisan does its work in detail and does not make general promises.

"My campaigning method will include town hall sessions where I will listen to the hopes and wishes of Sungai Buloh voters. This is in addition to campaigning via face-to-face and social media," said Khairy, who acknowledged to feeling nervous as he will be contesting in a new seat that is also dubbed a hot seat.

The Umno politician and former Rembau MP considered himself an underdog in Sungai Buloh, which has been won by PKR since 2008.

“We have our work cut out for us. We will need to convince the 159,000 voters here what I can offer for this constituency,” he said.

Khairy was speaking after an event to meet Barisan’s Sungai Buloh machinery for the 15th General Election (GE15) in Kota Damansara, Petaling Jaya, on Wednesday night (Nov 2).

“This meeting is important to ensure the election machinery is ready. If it is strong, it will make the candidate’s work easier.

“We don’t want a situation where there are already (internal) problems before campaigning starts,” he said.

Khairy said he was appreciative of the support from Barisan’s component parties and Friends of Barisan Nasional, particularly from MIC as Sungai Buloh has traditionally been contested by MIC.

He added that he preferred to focus on his own campaigning and to work on convincing Sungai Buloh voters to support Barisan this GE15, and declined to comment on PKR’s announcement that they would reconsider fielding its candidate for the parliamentary seat.

PKR deputy president Rafizi Ramli had said earlier that he would be discussing with party president Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim on the feedback from Sungai Buloh voters regarding PKR candidate Datuk R. Ramanan, after Khairy’s candidacy was announced on Tuesday (Nov 1).

R. Sivarasa from PKR won the Sungai Buloh seat with a 26,634 majority in GE14. He served as MP for three terms under the PKR-Pakatan Harapan ticket.