UMNO embraces exiled leaders with former minister Khairy’s appearance at Youth wing meet

KUALA LUMPUR – Former health minister Khairy Jamaluddin was in the limelight on Jan 15 when he attended the UMNO Youth annual general assembly as a former chief of the wing – three years after he was sacked from the party.

Mr Khairy said he had received UMNO president Zahid Hamidi’s blessing to attend the event – reflecting the party’s open-door policy to welcome back former members, including those who have been sacked or suspended.

The policy, which is also open to defectors who had joined Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia in the opposition, is aimed at capitalising on the former leaders’ popularity among voters ahead of the 16th General Election (GE16), where UMNO’s coalition Barisan Nasional plans to run solo.

GE16 must be held by early 2028.

“It’s a very emotional day as I am able to rejoin my party gathering,” Mr Khairy told reporters on Jan 15.

When asked whether

he would rejoin UMNO

, he replied: “One step at a time. Today, I came as an observer.”

Mr Khairy, 50, who led UMNO Youth from 2008 to 2018, was sacked in January 2023 for “violating party discipline” over an internal dispute, which also led to six-year suspensions for former information chief Shahril Hamdan and former vice-president Hishammuddin Hussein.

They were punished for criticising UMNO and opposing its top leadership following the party’s disastrous performance in the 2022 General Election, where it won only 26 out of 222 parliamentary seats.

Since then, Mr Khairy and Mr Shahril have been hosting the popular weekly current affairs podcast titled Keluar Sekejap (Out For A While), which has propelled them to prominence as credible commentators on hot-button issues of the day.

Mr Khairy arrived at the annual general assembly at around 8.40am, clad in the party’s white baju Melayu and red sampin, greeted by a performance of Malay martial art silat and traditional drums. Two other former Youth chiefs, Datuk Seri Nazri Aziz and Datuk Asyraf Wajdi Dusuki, also joined him.

Before delivering the keynote speech, current Youth chief Akmal Saleh struck a light-hearted note by saying it had taken considerable effort to secure Mr Khairy’s appearance.

“It is due to the magnanimity of Datuk Seri (Zahid) that we can invite the ‘chief’ back to this hall,” Datuk Akmal said while saluting Mr Khairy, to thunderous applause and standing ovations from the delegates.

Later, Dr Akmal urged the party to open its doors “as wide as possible” to those who still love UMNO, despite having been sacked, suspended or having left the party due to differences.

“Disagreements are part of human nature. But a great party is judged by the greatness of its spirit. UMNO will only regain its strength when we dare to forgive and reunite,” he added.

The rest of Dr Akmal’s speech traded in the pro-Malay and Muslim rhetoric that has been the playbook of the wing since before Mr Khairy’s stint as its chief.

Dr Akmal vowed to organise a mega gathering to discuss Malay-Muslim unity, a continuation of his

proposal on Jan 3 to revive a short-lived pact

with rival Parti Islam SeMalaysia, instead of continuing a rancorous three-year relationship with the Pakatan Harapan (PH) alliance.

The idea was

rejected by Dr Zahid,

to maintain stability in the current government alignment until the end of its term, despite UMNO grassroots being

frequently at odds

with the Democratic Action Party (DAP), the largest component party of PH, over ethnic-religious conflicts. Both parties are key allies in Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim’s government.

Implying that DAP is the “real enemy” in the government, Dr Akmal accused it of crossing “red lines” over the Malay race, Islam and royalty issues. A similar point was raised by UMNO deputy president Mohamad Hasan at the officiating of the Youth, Wanita and Puteri wings on Jan 14.

“We may be friends but if you touch our religion, race and royalty, you will face UMNO Youth, no matter you are minister, chief minister or any high-ranking official,” said Dr Akmal.

In a surprise move, Dr Akmal also announced that he was stepping down as a member of the Melaka state Cabinet in protest against the DAP. However, he stopped short of quitting as Youth chief despite previous allusions that he could do so.

Mr Khairy’s much-anticipated attendance was welcomed by four UMNO delegates interviewed by The Straits Times.

Johor UMNO grassroots leader Bastien Onn conceded that it was not so surprising, as Dr Zahid had hinted at it during a closed-door meeting on Jan 14.

“For months, the party has been working to bring Mr Khairy back into UMNO’s fold. This shows Dr Zahid has softened his stance. Mr Khairy may benefit the party by leveraging his popularity among urban voters,” the 47-year-old said.

Meanwhile, Terengganu UMNO Youth grassroots leader Aidil Syakir Iman Ismail, 26, praised Mr Khairy for bringing a new aura to UMNO, which is crucial for the party’s revival.

“Mr Khairy has his own following among UMNO supporters. We still need senior UMNO leaders who have their own identity to strengthen the party,” he told ST.

Political analyst Adib Zalkapli said Mr Khairy’s appearance at the UMNO assembly is “very likely a first step” towards regaining party membership.

“The warm welcome from the youth delegates and leadership was significant; it’s a public declaration that he still has a political home in UMNO,” said Mr Adib, who is managing director of advisory firm Viewfinder Global Affairs.

UMNO has vowed to reclaim its role as Malaysia’s core party after its first electoral defeat in 2018. Following a hung Parliament in 2022, it became a junior, albeit crucial, partner in the PH-led federal government.