State polls will end in Umno wipeout - KJ

Former Umno leader Khairy Jamaluddin expects the party to be wiped out in the upcoming six state elections.

He said this in response to a sarcastic invitation by Umno president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi and secretary-general Asyraf Wajdi Dusuki for former party members to attend the Umno general assembly this week.

“PRN (state elections) Umno bungkus (will be wiped out),” Khairy said in an Instagram comment to a post by Sembrong MP Hishammuddin Hussein on the Umno AGM invitation.

Hishamuddin replied: “It’s their loss bro - we move on.”

In January, Khairy was axed from Umno and Hishammuddin was suspended from the party for six years during a purge against Zahid’s rivals.

Yesterday, Zahid said those who “miss the party” can be present at the Umno AGM as observers, unlike in past years where they would have been a part of the official delegates.

Asyraf, meanwhile, quipped that former members are welcome to attend to “renew their Umno sampin (traditional Malay attire).”

Hishammuddin said such snide remarks were unnecessary and reflected poorly on the mentality of the current Umno leadership.

Meanwhile, former Umno information chief Shahril Sufian Hamdan also took issue with Asyraf’s remarks - which he said showed a lack of class.

“To be fair to the president (Zahid), we have taken jabs at him before… and we accept his (Zahid) jibes with humour.

“If Zahid wants to stab you, he stabs you from the front.

“But Asyraf has nothing to do with this, but tries to get one (stab) in at the end from the back,” he said, adding that they know Asyraf was among those who “threw stones but hid their hands.”

Shahril - who was also suspended from Umno in January - said this during the latest episode of his podcast with Khairy, which aired today.

‘Brave, honourable leader’

Not all of Umno’s current leadership were viewed poorly by the outcasts, however.

During the podcast, Khairy lauded Umno Youth chief Dr Muhamad Akmal Saleh’s decision to not invite other parties to the wing’s general assembly.

Akmal had stated he wanted to fix all internal issues within the wing before “inviting outsiders to come in and sit with us.”

Khairy - who was a former Umno Youth chief himself - said this was a commendable act, which showed there were still problems within Umno that needed to be resolved.

“I congratulated him (Akmal) for being a brave, honourable leader, and told him ‘you are a worthy successor’.

“The one (Umno Youth chief) before this was not worthy,” Khairy said, in reference to Asyraf who led the wing from 2018 until the party polls in February this year.

The Umno general assembly kicks off on Wednesday night (June 7) and will end on Saturday (June 10).

KJ mulls forming own party

Umno Youth: Party risks losing grassroots if it fails to justify shift

KJ needs more time to consider offers from political suitors

Khairy: 'Bossku' Najib still influential in Umno behind prison bars