Bersatu’s courtship of KJ

KHAIRY Jamaluddin has kept his cards close to his chest on Bersatu’s approaches to bring him onboard for the state elections.

High level sources say that Khairy and Bersatu president Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin are set to meet on Monday to discuss the prospect of Khairy joining Bersatu ahead of the six state elections.

Everything is still up in the air but it will be a game changer if he decides to go with the party.

He has dropped hints here and there, like turning up at the Hari Raya open house of Muhyiddin.

Khairy, who was sacked from Umno, has a unique brand that is backed by an outstanding track record in every single one of his previous Cabinet portfolios.

An Umno leader from Sabah recently mocked him as being “only a radio DJ” but Khairy’s radio DJ stint and his podcast series with his political ally and BFF Shahril Sufian Hamdan has been quite popular.

It has helped lift his profile, allowing people a glimpse into his opinions and worldview.

But it is quite different from politics and it is doubtful that it can provide the political oxygen he needs until the next general election.

The circle around Khairy thinks he is unlikely to jump in. They say Khairy is very clear about who he is and what he stands for and they are concerned about the ultra right-wing messaging coming from Perikatan.

Moreover, his good friend Shahril is said to have reservations about Perikatan.

Shahril, who is an idealist and some sort of moral compass in Khairy’s circle, has long been uncomfortable about the politics of PAS.

But ultimately, the decision is Khairy’s to make and he needs to decide soon because the window is growing narrower.

“The ball is in his court,” said a Bersatu leadership council member.

The mood among Perikatan politicians is high with many of them convinced that Selangor and Negri Sembilan will fall.

“Perikatan is almost within grasp of victory in Selangor. What they need is to ensure that the last mile is done correctly in order to cross the finishing line.

“KJ will fit neatly into the last mile strategy. He will bring along the urbane and the fence-sitters among the Malay voters,” said political commentator Ivanpal S. Grewal.

But, said Ivanpal, PAS president Tan Sri Abdul Hadi Awang needs to stop his anti-Chinese rhetoric.

“How can Gerakan face the non-Malay voters if Hadi keeps insulting them? Gerakan will be massacred if he goes on like this,” he said.

Khairy would also have been the ideal poster boy for Perikatan in Selangor except that the slot is believed to have been reserved for Datuk Seri Mohamed Azmin Ali who is the state Perikatan chairman and who is running the show in Selangor.

Azmin is already going full throttle in Selangor, he is familiar with the ground and knows how to campaign.

But the poster boy slot is still available in Negri Sembilan.

However, it is understood that the Perikatan leadership does not intend to name a poster boy for either Selangor or Negri Sembilan.

They do not want to risk what happened to Barisan Nasional in the Johor state election and their official stand is that it is for the palace to decide in the event of victory.

The more sceptical say Perikatan could do serious damage to Pakatan Harapan in both Selangor and Negri Sembilan but do not see the two states falling as yet.

The reason is that Umno did extremely well in Negri Sembilan in the general election and its state chief Datuk Jalaluddin Alias is confident of more success with the combined support of Pakatan supporters.

Moreover, the tabulation of votes from Umno’s parliamentary wins in Negri Sembilan last November showed that Perikatan had the upper hand in only two state constituencies.

In Selangor, the combined votes of Umno and Pakatan in the parliamentary seats won by Perikatan added up to more than what Perikatan got.

So where is the bubbling confidence among Perikatan politicians coming from?

A lot of it, said Ahmad Faizal, has to do with feedback that up to 50% of Malays who used to vote Umno are restless and ready to throw their votes to another Malay party.

This cohort of Malays are unable to accept DAP and they disagree with the tie-up between Umno and Pakatan. The reputation of the Umno president is also a problem for them.

“The sentiment is quite widespread, a huge percentage of traditional Umno voters will swing but we have to work very hard,” said Bersatu deputy president Datuk Seri Ahmad Faizal Azumu.

Perikatan is set to secure up to 70% of the Malay votes again.

Umno leaders in Negri Sembilan are also worried that Khairy may contest in the state because of his appeal among the young voters.

On the possibility of Khairy contesting in Negri Sembilan, all that Ahmad Faizal would say was: “He is most welcome, we want him because of his capabilities. I watched him when we were in the Cabinet, he never failed to impress.”

Khairy could provide the tipping point or the X-factor that Perikatan needs to cross the finishing line.

The answer will be known by next week after Khairy meets with Muhyiddin.

Khairy has always been a newsmaker and it will be an OMG! moment in politics if he makes the big move.

> The views expressed here are entirely the writer’s own