KJ outlines his ambition to lead Umno and then become PM

GE15 | Outgoing Health Minister Khairy Jamaluddin has pledged that the Sungai Buloh parliamentary constituency - which he is contesting - will get the prime minister and Umno president one day if he wins in this general election (GE15).

However, the BN candidate for Sungai Buloh stressed that he would not pursue his ambition right after this general election as caretaker Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob is the BN's choice for prime minister.

Without giving a clear timeline, Khairy said he hopes it would not take him too long to assume the prime ministership.

"If I win in the general election, Sungai Buloh is not the limit. I will bring the Sungai Buloh people... one day we will lead the country. God willing," he told a 900-strong crowd at a ceramah, dubbed "Words of promise by KJ", in Saujana Utama, Sungai Buloh, yesterday.

"One day I want to lead Umno, one day I want to be your prime minister, but I must win Sungai Buloh first.

"But not now. My brother Ismail Sabri (Yaakob) will be the prime minister (if BN wins GE15).

"(As for myself), I am 46 years old and I can wait. But, hopefully, it won't take so long," Khairy said.

He said he needed the victory in Sungai Buloh, which was won by R Sivarasa with a majority of 26,634 votes in the 2018 general election, so that he could confidently tell Umno of his ambition to lead the party and the country.

Khairy is contesting in Sungai Buloh for the first time, having given way to BN Negeri Sembilan chief Mohammad Hassan in Rembau - a seat Khairy had been winning since 2008.

Sungai Buloh is a Pakatan Harapan stronghold, with BN losing in every polling district there in the last general election.

For the record, Umno is set to hold its party election six months after GE15.

Khairy lost his 2018 bid for presidency

Khairy had run for Umno presidency against Ahmad Zahid Hamidi in the 2018 party elections - and he lost.

At the ceramah, Khairy said he was pleased with the crowd turnout in Saujana Utama as the BN candidate won only 800 votes in the polling district in GE14.

The crowd, comprising people of all ages, began to show up at the ceramah centre after the rain and they took selfies with Khairy as he was leaving the scene.

Also present was Jeanne Abdullah, the wife of former prime minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, Selangor Umno chief Nor Omar, incumbent Kuala Kangsar MP Mastura Yazid and Umno Supreme Council member Md Alwi Che Ahmad.

On another development, Khairy said he would unveil his manifesto for Sungai Buloh this week.

"Apart from a manifesto for Sungai Buloh, I will also come up with a parliamentarian's annual budget after I win the election. I will be doing this for the sake of transparency so that the people can see how I use the money," he said.

He said he would also fund the establishment of an autism centre if he wins in the general election.

Khairy urged the people to support him to keep the state government and the two Pakatan Harapan state assemblypersons in the parliamentary constituency under check.

"I may not be able to fix all the problems because some of them fall under the jurisdiction of the local government and state government. However, I can become a 'loud speaker' for Sungai Buloh as I have a big voice.

"If you just get an MP who is followed by 5,000 netizens on social media, people would not pay attention. Coincidentally, my social media followers make up more than five million followers," he added.

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