KUALA LUMPUR – Former Umno Youth chief Khairy Jamaluddin should join Bersatu or PAS and gauge if he really is a “youth” magnet as alleged by his former ally in Umno, said Datuk Puad Zarkashi.
In a Facebook post today, Puad chided the former Rembau MP and even challenged him to form his own party similar to Muda’s Syed Saddiq Syed Abdul Rahman, to test if he really has youth support.
Puad also questioned whether Khairy’s supposed popularity actually helped the party during his tenure as party youth chief.
“KJ (Khairy Jamaluddin) did not appeal his sacking (from Umno). Perhaps KJ should form his own party. Let's see if the youth follow ‘magnet’ KJ in droves.
“If KJ is not as brave as Syed Saddiq to form a new party, then perhaps he could join Bersatu or PAS. KJ can prove that his ‘magnet’ is good,’’ he said, adding that Khairy should not merely ride on the goodwill of whichever party he chooses to join.
Puad’s post came after Umno vice-president Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob said the party had lost a youth “magnet” by sacking Khairy.
In the same post, Puad also lambasted Ismail Sabri, sarcastically urging him to name Khairy as the party’s poster boy for the 15th general elections (GE15) if the former health minister could really bring in votes for Umno.
“Ismail Sabri is wrong. He should instead suggest to the Umno leadership that KJ replace him for GE15.
“His (Ismail Sabri’s) excuse is that the (party) has no magnet, and that KJ is a magnet. Umno would be at a loss if this is true,” said Puad.
Besides Khairy, another high-profile leader sacked from Umno was Tan Sri Noh Omar, while Sembrong MP and former party vice-president Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein and former information chief Shahril Sufian Hamdan were among those suspended for six years.
In a previous Facebook post, Puad said the “total cleanup” decided during Umno’s Supreme Council meeting several weeks ago was made in line with party president Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi’s call during the presidential address at the 2022 Umno general assembly. – The Vibes, February 6, 2023
