Editor’s Note: UMNO-Barisan Nasional (BN) aspirant MP for the Sungai Buloh parliamentary seat Khairy Jamaluddin was reportedly quoted as saying that he wished to clean up UMNO’s image and admitted disliking a few of his party colleagues.
He envisages that in the event he wins the Sungai Buloh seat in the 15th General Election (GE15), bigger challenges loom such as bringing change to the country, UMNO and BN.
“I also want to bring change to my party and for UMNO to be seen as noble vessel for the Malay community. Right now, many come and meet me, telling me that it’s not that they dislike UMNO but that they are displeased by a few in UMNO,” the Malay mainstream newspaper Berita Harian cited him as saying in a “cynical term”.
Below is a reaction from DAP-Pakatan Harapan’s (PH) candidate Lim Lip Eng to Khairy’s vision of what the future would hold for UMNO:
MR KJ (Khairy Jamaluddin), please explain what you mean by “cleaning up” UMNO?
Khairy Jamaluddin has to state clearly what he meant by membersihkan (cleaning up) UMNO. Is he finally admitting that UMNO is corrupted?
I dare Khairy to be bolder if he is truly a reformist to name the current UMNO leaders whom he thinks are the corrupted lot? Anything less than that shows his lack of political will to walk the talk.
Why he is saying this only now during the GE15 is anyone’s guess but I believe it has to do with the public sentiments against corrupt UMNO leaders who would do anything just to stay in power.
Allow me to ask just a few questions: When Khairy’s father-in-law, Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi was prime minister (PM), who were the controversial fourth floor boys? Why were they hated by even UMNO members? That there is a saying, “A leopard never changes its spots”, shouldn’t then perhaps that Khairy first clean himself up?
It is unfortunate that we do not have an Oscar award for best politician of the year; otherwise, I believe Khairy would bag the Oscar for being the best chameleon actor that can change colours based on the environment.
One can still recall that Khairy condoned and supported disgraced former PM Datuk Seri Najib Razak when Najib purloined the nation’s billions of ringgit from 1MDB (1Malaysia Development Bhd).
Khairy did nothing to stop his ‘Bossku’ from becoming a ‘national embarrassment’ while serving as a minister in Najib’s cabinet – at least until the collapse of kleptocracy in the last general election.
Instead of talking about fighting corruption within UMNO, Khairy should not forget that people want to hear his apology to the people for helping Najib and his gang.
I want to remind Khairy that he should talk about how the BN manifesto will help revive the economy of the country, solve the high cost of living, reduce the impact of high inflations and fight corruption. He should not confuse the GE15 campaign for UMNO’s presidential election. – Nov 12, 2022
Lim Lip Eng is the MP for Kepong and a committee member of DAP’s central executive committee 2022-2025.
The views expressed are solely of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Focus Malaysia.
