Khairy: I came here to campaign as a friend

In full spirit: Khairy (second from right) helping Barisan Nasional candidate for Bertam, Reezal Merican campaign at the old Kepala Batas town in Penang. – ZHAFARAN NASIB/The Star

KEPALA BATAS: Although he has left Umno, Khairy Jamaluddin is campaigning for Barisan Nasional candidate for Bertam, Datuk Reezal Merican Naina Merican.

The former minister, popularly known as KJ, said he was doing it merely for a close friend while making his stance clear that the support was not meant for Umno president Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi.

Bertam is a state seat under the parliamentary constituency where Khairy’s father-in-law Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, the fifth prime minister, had been an eight-term MP from 1978 to 2013.

“I came here to campaign as a friend. I know he (Reezal Merican) is someone who is capable of doing the work and has vast experience both at the party and government level. So, let us choose Reezal.

“One vote for Reezal is one vote for Reezal. One vote for Reezal does not mean one vote for (Ahmad) Zahid,” he told reporters after a walkabout with the former housing and local government minister at the old town here yesterday.

Several locals, when met, said they recognised Khairy and Reezal Merican and that they had made up their minds on who to vote for.

Reezal Merican, an Umno supreme council member, is challenging Perikatan Nasional incumbent Khaliq Mehtab Mohd Ishaq from Bersatu.Asked if Umno would be included in the Penang state government should the unity pact win the state polls, Khairy said in terms of fairness, it should.

“If Pakatan Harapan-Barisan win in Penang, I am sure there will be a place for Barisan and there should (also) be a representative (in the state executive lineup), for example, Reezal Merican,” he added.

Khairy also encouraged voters to come out to vote tomorrow.

“As I have said before, we need to pick the best representative for Bertam, so people should come out to vote,” he noted.

Asked whether there would be any impact on the Federal Government if the Pakatan-Barisan partnership failed to perform in the six state polls, Khairy replied, “I do not think so.”

“Even if Umno ‘bungkus’ (loses badly), I think the party will feign ignorance,” he claimed.

On Aug 9, Khairy, who is Umno’s former youth chief, was in Selangor to campaign for Perikatan candidate Datuk Harisson Hassan for the Jeram seat.Harisson, who is a former Sungai Buloh Umno division deputy chief, had his membership automatically revoked after announcing his move to contest under a Perikatan ticket.