KUALA LUMPUR – Did the MCA candidate for Bandar Tun Razak reveal Barisan Nasional’s (BN) purported succession plan for Khairy Jamaluddin to be next in line to rise to the top office in Putrajaya?
During a forum to discuss the 15th general election, Datuk Chew Yin Keen disclosed that the coalition already has a plan in place for a future Malaysian prime minister.
He insisted that at present, Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob is the sole candidate for the top post should BN secure a victory in the coming polls.
The Bandar Tun Razak MCA division chief then went on to suggest that Khairy, who is contesting in Sg Buloh, will be the next in line to take over Putrajaya's hot seat.
“BN has prime minister material in Khairy. We have a succession plan. We don’t only have one (name) without any succession plan. That’s very important,” he said during the Ruang Bicara Bahas programme organised by Bernama today.
Chew was commenting on an earlier remark by fellow panellist, Amanah’s Khalid Abdul Samad, that despite BN’s warning against speculation, Umno president Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi will be the prime minister if the coalition wins federal power.
His comments come just days after Khairy himself admitted to harbouring interest in being a prime minister one day.
He had said that while he can wait for that to happen, it will not take too long to realise his dream.
Khairy also insisted that Ismail Sabri remains BN’s choice for the top post in this election.
There have been speculations in recent weeks that Zahid is positioning himself to take over the post despite an earlier agreement to maintain the status quo.
Earlier in the forum, Khalid had said that as part of his campaign to win the Titiwangsa parliamentary seat, he continuously reminds voters that any vote for BN means a vote for Zahid – a slogan that Pakatan Harapan (PH) has harped on over the past week.
Separately, he said that a vote for a Perikatan Nasional (PN) candidate would mean support for Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin’s return to power. Muhyiddin is PN chairman and Bersatu president.
In this regard, Khalid said that it is vital for Malaysians to vote for PH candidates, as this would ensure Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim finally has a chance at administrating the country.
“Based on his track record, we consider Anwar to be the best,” he said, stressing on the importance of voting for the coalition to ensure issues of corruption and leakages can be fixed to ensure a better economy for the people.
To this, Chew said the economy had “collapsed” under PH's administration, with the people having to suffer due to oppression. He added that PN, which succeeded PH in 2020, had also proven itself to be a failed government.
In comparison, he said it is clear to see how well the economy performed while BN was in power, drawing laughter from other panellists.
Other than Chew and Khalid, the other panel members were Parti Bangsa Malaysia’s Ampang candidate Datuk Zuraida Kamaruddin and the Gerakan Tanah Air candidate for Sepang, Datin Che Asmah Ibrahim. – The Vibes, November 11, 2022
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