[UPDATED] GE15: Khairy hints at senior minister post if Ismail Sabri becomes PM

SG BULOH – Khairy Jamaluddin has hinted that he may be given a senior position in the cabinet if he wins the parliamentary seat here and Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob retains his prime ministership with a Barisan Nasional (BN) victory.

Speaking at a ceramah here, the caretaker health minister said Ismail Sabri, who is Umno vice-president, personally promised him that Khairy would be given another go as part of the cabinet if BN wins federal power.

Later in his speech, he insisted that Ismail Sabri remains Umno’s sole prime minister pick and that if things go according to plan, Khairy could be given a more prominent role to play in the government.

“Our prime minister candidate is none other than Ismail Sabri. Even the president (Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi) has said it. Don’t say what was ordered isn’t what is delivered. This is not a Shopee prime minister.

“He is my friend. Who knows, if he becomes prime minister, there will be a senior position for me in the cabinet,” he said, drumming up support from Sg Buloh voters this evening.

Later when questioned by the press if he is hinting at being offered a deputy prime minister’s post, Khairy said: “Any senior position. Not hinting at anything, (but) any senior position.”

Asked if being Ismail Sabri’s deputy would best serve him, Khairy said this will be decided by the incoming prime minister.

Khairy’s statement comes days after he admitted to harbouring an ambition of being prime minister and that he would want to lead Umno someday in the future.

He then went on to say yesterday that it is his intention to cleanse and course-correct his party, which he claimed has lost its way, if he is given the mandate in Sgi Buloh, referring to himself as an Umno reformist.

Today, in responding to criticisms levelled at him for purportedly focusing on his political expediency, Khairy told reporters that lawmakers will be better able at serving the constituents if they have a senior position in the government. 

“You will be able to leverage more (government) agencies and funds for your constituency. So, I think for me to deliver on Sg Buloh, it will be best if I have a senior position in the government.” 

Regardless, Khairy said he and other ministers have demonstrated through their years of being in the cabinet that they are able to undertake senior leadership roles in the government while concurrently serving the rakyat. 

“It’s all about how well you manage your time, how you manage your resources.”

‘Send a message to your leaders, vote for me’

In his speech, Khairy has urged Pakatan Harapan (PH) supporters who are still on the fence in the coming election, to “send a message” to their leaders by voting for him. 

“To PH supporters, I know you are in a dilemma, whether to support your party or to give your vote to KJ. They like the candidate (Khairy) but love their party. 

“But sometimes, you have to send a message to your own leaders. We need to have checks and balances in Sg Buloh. Choose me as your MP, and I will look after you!”

In the same regard, Khairy urged PAS supporters to vote for him to avoid a split in votes between BN and Perikatan Nasional. 

Earlier, he had said that it is vital to have an Umno man like him in Sg Buloh to have an alternative voice in an otherwise PH-congested Selangor.

“At the moment, the state government is PH, the assemblymen are from PH, council members are all PH-appointed. You can’t have checks and balances if everyone is from the same team. 

“Try to elect an MP from BN. I will shake them up. I will do it, you know I will. In every post I have held, I have done my job.”

Separately, Khairy said if he is able to take good care of Sg Buloh, he would be able to do the same for the country in the future, comparing the constituency to a mini-Malaysia. 

He pointed out that the racial composition of Sg Buloh almost mimics that of Peninsular Malaysia, with about 65% Bumiputra voters, 20% Chinese, 10% Indian and the remaining comprising people of other ethnicities. 

In addition, he said the constituency is also made up of people and localities of various income groups. 

Khairy is contesting in Sg Buloh for the first time, after winning Negri Sembilan’s Rembau parliamentary seat for three consecutive terms. He made way for Umno deputy president Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan in this election. 

The former Umno Youth chief faces, among others, PH’s Datuk R. Ramanan, in a seven-cornered fight. – The Vibes, November 12, 2022