‘It was a last-minute decision to go for top post’

KUALA LUMPUR: The decision to offer himself as a candidate for the Umno presidency was one that Khairy Jamaluddin (pic) wrestled with for days.

He said up until a few days ago, he was actually gunning for the vice-presidency.

“However, after considering the survival and future of Umno in this day and age, I decided to contest the presidency because I want members to have a say in the party’s direction,” he said in a statement here yesterday.

His main aim, said Khairy, was to bring back the old spirit of Umno within a rejuvenated body.

“The spirit I’m talking about is that of an inclusive Malay party open to all layers of society – not just nobility, corporate figures and the elites.

“Umno must be a party for the common folk, that guards their interests. We need a party that is not racist, sexist or deaf to the people’s needs.

“In this way, we may one day rebuild Barisan Nasional as a big home for everyone,” he said.

Khairy said he met Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah a few days ago and encouraged him to contest the presidency in the spirit of openness.

He also professed immense respect for both Razaleigh and fellow contender Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, whom he described as an older brother.

“Both have their own advantages. Razaleigh is a statesman who laid the foundations for important national institutions like Petronas and Bank Bumiputra,” he said.

“Dr Ahmad Zahid is a fighter who has undergone the ups and downs of the political world and has really close ties with the grassroots.”

Admitting that he lacked their vast experience, Khairy said he wanted delegates to have the option of a “generational change” in Umno, adding that the party needed a total restructuring.

“Umno must be open to contest, to critique leaders without the fear of being sacked, to accept new members without hindrance, to decide who will lead the party and to be free from the clutches of warlords,” he said.

Insisting that his loyalty to Umno was undivided, Khairy said he would support anyone who was to be elected the new party president.