adminKUALA LUMPUR: Former UMNO Youth chief Khairy Jamaluddin insists he remains loyal to the party despite receiving various offers from other political parties after being sacked.
According to him, since leaving UMNO, he has not joined any other party despite receiving invitations, either directly or indirectly, from almost all the major parties in Malaysia.
“I said no to them because my first choice was to return to UMNO,” he said in the Keluar Sekejap podcast which aired on Wednesday.
Commenting on the proposal to establish a new movement, Khairy said he viewed the issue in a broader context, including the phenomenon of Malay political fragmentation which is becoming increasingly apparent at the moment.
He said that the division into too many Malay political parties has affected the strength and leverage of Malay politics, both from a perception and reality perspective.
“It doesn’t mean I want a monolithic Malay party, that’s not healthy either. But when the division is too great, we have to accept the fact that the Malay political position is diminishing,” he explained.
Meanwhile, he admitted that there were weaknesses and mistakes in UMNO, especially in the 2018 General Election, but was still confident in the party’s fundamental struggle.
Khairy likened UMNO to a house that has a solid foundation and framework, which can still be improved and strengthened.
“If it is decorated well and corrected by all parties, God willing it will be seen in a different context than before,” he said.
He stressed that he still believes in UMNO’s fundamental strength and its potential to be strengthened again.
-Agency
