PETALING JAYA: The presence of Khairy Jamaluddin and Datuk Seri Johari Abdul Ghani in a recent meeting with Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim has set tongues wagging.
Despite the high interest in their presence, the two remained tight-lipped about why they were at the meeting, which was also attended by some of the country’s top economic experts.
The Prime Minister’s Office also did not divulge details on Khairy’s and Johari’s presence.
However, it is believed that the two attended the meeting to share their experiences as former ministers.
Johari was a second finance minister under the Barisan Nasional administration that ended in 2018, during which time Khairy had served as the youth and sports minister.
Khairy later helmed the science, technology and innovation portfolio in the Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin administration.
His last Cabinet position was as health minister under Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob.
In a social media post, Anwar said the meeting on Friday was part of the government’s ongoing efforts to get ideas and views on the national economy.
It is understood that the Prime Minister has held several engagement sessions with business leaders and is expected to hold more similar meetings in the future.
Soon after taking office, Anwar had also met his predecessor Ismail Sabri and ex-transport minister Datuk Seri Dr Wee Ka Siong.
Talk has swirled on whether Khairy, a popular former Umno Youth chief, is going to join Opposition party Bersatu after its president Muhyiddin offered him a seat on its supreme council.
During a June 10 episode of his Keluar Sekejap podcast, Khairy, who has remained mostly coy on his next political move, mentioned that he would meet Muhyiddin “next week”.
Speaking to reporters in Penang yesterday, Muhyiddin said that Khairy is likely to give his final decision at that meeting.
Muhyiddin said he hoped that Khairy would join the Perikatan Nasional coalition and that the latter was “smart enough to make a decision”.
