Out in the cold but still PM material

FOR a man in political exile, Khairy Jamaluddin is in the news more often than most politicians walking the corridors of power in Putrajaya.

It seemed like the end of the road after he was sacked from Umno but he has stayed relevant, capturing public imagination through his Keluar Sekejap podcast with his buddy Shahril Sufian Hamdan.

Khairy and Shahril, who was suspended from the party, got a boost in the latest podcast session when their guest Johor Crown Prince Tunku Ismail Ibni Sultan Ibrahim declared he would like to see the pair “go back to Umno”.

But the question as everyone in Umno knows is whether or not Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi wants the pair back.

The Umno president, known for his killer instinct, is arguably the most feared Umno president since Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad.

There was shock when Ahmad Zahid acted against a string of Umno leaders, including Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein and Tan Sri Noh Omar, back in January.

Those suspended and expelled were alleged to have sabotaged the party and undermined the president’s position.

Ahmad Zahid took it personally because it was happening at a time when he was under tremendous pressure after the general election and few dared to criticise the decision for fear that the axe would also fall on them.

There is also no sign of a softening on the part of Ahmad Zahid.

“There have been people who make a comeback but our party has rules and protocol to follow. Emotions aside, the party has a system which we have to observe.

“Besides, the president’s focus is on work and delivery. He has his hands full with so many things from his ministerial duties to all those by-elections,” said Law Minister Datuk Seri Azalina Othman Said.

The prospects of reconciliation are dim although some think that someone of Hishammuddin’s stature cannot be written off yet.

“His political network is still there, he has loyalists all over and he has held back from criticising the leadership,” said Umno politician and lawyer Ainul Aizat Ahmad Ishak.

Ainul also pointed to the “quiet strength” of Hishammuddin’s wife who is part of Pahang royalty.

Hishammuddin could not contest the Umno election in March but his network helped his Youth chief for Sembrong, Hafiz Ariffin, to be voted into the No 1 spot in the Umno Youth exco line-up.

“He is still very much a warlord in Umno,” said a key aide.

Perikatan Nasional leaders see him as a hot commodity, perhaps even as a passport to taking over Johor.

The Sembrong MP recently ran into a group of top Perikatan leaders at the Parliament lobby where he exchanged a warm hug with PAS president Tan Sri Abdul Hadi Awang and held hands with Bersatu secretary-general Datuk Seri Hamzah Zainudin.

The Perikatan leaders are probably doing the optics thing, to drive rumours of Umno MPs crossing over.

But Hishammuddin is committed to supporting Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim and he has told his inner circle that he has no intention of rattling the stability of the government. He knows the public will not like it and turn against him.

Both Hishammuddin and Khairy were regarded as prime minister material.

Despite being in the political wilderness, Khairy is still lauded as a future prime minister wherever he goes, be it to give talks or to attend events. Umno can take away his membership but it cannot take away his intellect, personality and energy.

It is no secret how Khairy feels about Ahmad Zahid’s leadership and the prospect of him returning to Umno is dim for as long as Ahmad Zahid is in charge.

“It all depends on the president and how Khairy behaves. I know that deep inside, he is still with Umno,” said former Kapar Umno division chief Datuk Faizal Abdullah.

Faizal has been impressed by Khairy’s performance in every one of his ministerial portfolios.

The former Umno Youth chief is the only person to truly fit the bill as youth and sports minister, inspiring the youth cohort with his genuine love for sports, his energy and his leadership in the 2017 SEA Games.

He brought his intellect to the previously underlooked science and technology ministry and he shone as the health minister during the pandemic.

Perikatan tried to get him onboard in Negri Sembilan during the state elections. Had he taken the leap, he would have easily become a state assemblyman.

Being a podcaster is one thing but it is another level to be a Yang Berhormat. He would have been the catalyst the opposition coalition needed or, as some Perikatan leaders had imagined, Khairy might now be the Mentri Besar of Negri Sembilan.

The golden opportunity has come and gone and he needs to stay relevant till the next general election.

Titiwangsa MP Datuk Seri Johari Ghani, another personality widely regarded in Umno as prime minister material, is all for Khairy being accepted back into the fold.

“Why not? Ku Li (Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah) returned after forming a party to fight against Umno. Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad and Lim Kit Siang fought for decades, then held hands in 2018.

“Every political leader has followers and support. We will be stronger if we can sit down to thrash out our differences and pool our support. Nothing is impossible,” said Johari.

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