KUALA LUMPUR – “Never let a good crisis go to waste,” said the late British prime minister Winston Churchill as countries globally looked to rebuild following the end of World War II in the 1940s.
In today’s local political context, the famous quote rings particularly true to the ongoing internal crisis in Umno following the purging of several high-profile names, the most prominent being former party youth chief Khairy Jamaluddin.
For the largest Malay party in the country, the axing provides the opportunity for internal re-consolidation and rebuilding. For Khairy, it offers him the chance to reassess his political career and plot his next move.
The latter is particularly crucial for someone as politically ambitious as the ex-Rembau MP: Khairy has made no secret of his desire to lead the country as prime minister some day, even after his dismissal from Umno.
Predictably, this rules out any possibility that the firebrand would call politics a day after his unceremonious sacking – this means a return to the arena is already almost certainly on the cards.
Yesterday Khairy ignited substantial curiosity by hinting that he may run in the coming Selangor election which is due by the middle of this year.
Intriguingly, he did not discount the possibility that this may involve being a menteri besar candidate.
Stressing that he was considering his options, he revealed that there have been discussions with some parties on what role he should play if he contests for any of them there.
He noted that although the state is under strong Pakatan Harapan (PH) rule, Perikatan Nasional (PN) made “serious inroads” in last November’s general election.
The golden question, then, is: where would, and should, Khairy realistically go to revive his career?
Bersatu possible, but thorny path ahead
Despite only recently losing his Umno membership, the Kuwait-born, Oxford-trained politician is unsurprisingly not short of offers from other parties, considering his pull factor.
In fact, all three PN parties, Bersatu, PAS and Gerakan, have separately extended an invitation, although the latter two are unlikely destinations – PAS for its conservative branding not aligning with Khairy’s values, and Gerakan for lacking any political foothold in the country at present.
Bersatu remains a plausible option, although it offers one major drawback: several personalities with similar political ambitions as Khairy.
Party president Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin aside, having figures like Datuk Seri Mohamed Azmin Ali and Datuk Seri Hamzah Zainudin means Khairy’s pathway to the prime ministership through the Umno offshoot is harder compared to effectively all other existing political outfits.
It has been speculated that Muhyiddin might rope in Khairy to shore up support for himself amid murmurs of factionalism within Bersatu.
If joining Bersatu is a chance the former health minister is willing to take, then the risk is that any infighting ensuing from his entry could potentially result in him being dead in the water just as quickly as he attempts to revive his career.
There is also the question of whether Khairy wants to be part of a party that is as similar as Umno as it gets, especially as most Bersatu members are from there.
“I don’t think he’s interested in Bersatu, anyway. Although the party wants him, I think it is not a good platform for him,” political analyst Assoc Prof Jeniri Amir told The Vibes.
PKR: perfect fit, awkward timing
Singapore Institute of International Affairs senior fellow Oh Ei Sun said if there is any party that Khairy should consider joining, then it should be one of the PH components, as the coalition tallies more with his reformist and progressive image.
Jeniri, who is a senior fellow at the National Professor Council, shared the same sentiment, but said PKR seems to be the best match and most likely option for Khairy.
This is going by Khairy’s vision and the fact that his closest, non-Umno allies are from the party, namely deputy president Rafizi Ramli and vice-president Nurul Izzah Anwar.
Interestingly, the observers’ comments seem to corroborate Khairy’s own statement recently that any political organisation he joins next should be a “comfortable fit” and one that is inclusive and progressive.
While these values appear to align with what PKR and DAP pride themselves for, the former Umno man has hinted recently that he is unlikely to join the latter.
The only problem, if speculation of Khairy joining PKR become a reality, is: at what expense will this be to the reformist party?
Already, several PKR members have threatened to quit if the leadership ushers in the “Umno rejects”.
Party president Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim has also stated that any decision will need to consider the broader aspects, with concerns that the move might disrupt the existing peace within the unity government, which comprises Umno.
In this context, Jeniri said timing is particularly vital.
Khairy should bide his time
According to the academician, the possibility of Khairy becoming a PKR member could hinge on the political situation in the next general election.
If Khairy is still without a party by then, Jeniri said the doors could be open to him as his admission then would not have any impact on the stability of the government, as Parliament would have been dissolved.
This arrangement also makes sense from PKR’s point of view, as Khairy would be able to draw in a substantial amount of supporters to strengthen the party, while much of the disapproval from within should have been extinguished by then.
Oh concurs that Khairy’s best move at the moment is to bide his time before plotting his next move.
“Perhaps do some corporate or NGO (non-governmental organisation) stints, and wait for the next opportune moment when there is nobody else who would undertake an arduous national task, such as the vaccination programme. Then he could once again shine.”
In his first media interview immediately following his expulsion, Khairy had similarly said that while he is looking for a “new club”, he is in no rush to make a decision and will take his time to contemplate his political future. He has also ruled out any immediate return to Umno unless there are radical internal changes.
The coming state election in Selangor could offer a good opportunity to test the waters if Khairy decides to contest on an independent ticket while his search for a new party continues.
Win, and his “value” would certainly skyrocket even further. And even if he loses, time is at least on his side.
After all, his “meagre” age of 47 is relatively young in Malaysian politics, especially in his quest for prime ministership, considering the likes of Anwar, Muhyiddin, and Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad. – The Vibes, February 7, 2023
