FORMER UMNO Youth chief Khairy Jamaluddin said he was surprised by a public endorsement from DAP’s Ong Kian Ming, highlighting a long-standing personal friendship that predates their political affiliations.
Khairy wrote that he was a little speechless after receiving a public show of support from Ong.
“It is rare to find genuine friendship across the aisle. But we were actually friends before we made our political choices,” Khairy said.
“I was at your wedding. You were at my birthdays. That’s more than just expedient political networking. That’s friendship. And friendships endure through fair winds and stormy seas. We share a vision for the nation. Let’s get it done, brother,” he added.
Wishing Khairy for his 50th birthday, Ong wrote on Instagram, saying he is prepared to publicly campaign for Khairy at the next general election regardless of party.
He expressed willingness to serve in Khairy’s Cabinet if the latter becomes prime minister. He described Khairy as a close friend and one of the few people he trusts in politics.
“I don’t know what the next decade will look like for KJ. But I do know that I will be taking leave from work to publicly campaign for KJ, regardless of his party affiliation, at the next general elections,” he wrote, using Khairy’s popular moniker.
“When he becomes prime minister, I will gladly throw my hat into the ring to be part of his Cabinet, if he sees me fit,” Ong wrote.
The two first met in 2001 and later served as MPs on opposing sides from 2013 to 2022, collaborating on several initiatives including legislative reforms in sports and the Covid-19 vaccination rollout in the Klang Valley, despite major political disagreements on issues such as 1MDB and the Sheraton Move.
After leaving frontline politics, they continued working together through media and academic platforms, including the Keluar Sekejap podcast and a university advisory role. Khairy was expelled from UMNO in 2023, while Ong stepped away from electoral politics to return to academia. —Jan 11, 2025
Main image: eCentral
