Umno’s Rembau MP Khairy Jamaluddin Abu Bakar has said he is finally on speaking terms with his party president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi.

Things between them had recently been “tense” and Zahid had not spoken to him since the walkout staged by Umno MPs last week, in which Khairy did not participate.

“Obviously there is a bit of tension, I stood against him (in the Umno party election) and all of that. But other than that, he is like an older brother to me … we are on good terms.

“He spoke to me just now for the first time since the walkout.

“He said ‘are you speaking today?’ and I said ‘yes’,” Khairy said when met by the press in the Parliament lobby after participating in the motion of thanks to the Yang di-Pertuan Agong.

When asked why he looked unusually joyful today, Khairy grinned and said it was because “the Umno president spoke to me”.

Khairy lost to Zahid in the contest to be party president last month.

‘An independent voice’

Earlier, Zahid claimed to have previously made three offers to the former Umno Youth chief, only to be turned down.

Pressed on why he did so, Khairy said he wanted his independence within the party.

“I do not want to be tied to party decisions, I want to be an independent voice within Umno.

“This is good for Umno,” he said.

He said he maintains his loyalty to the party and will be campaigning for Umno in Sungai Kandis this weekend ahead of the by-election.

Zahid said he had asked Khairy to be his running mate in the Umno election, and subsequently offered the latter the secretary general or information chief posts.