Umno's top woman more likely minister candidate than KJ - party sources

Summary

• Party sources say Wanita Umno chief Noraini Ahmad is more likely to be made minister than Khairy Jamaludin due to her seniority in the party.

• Sources believe Khairy needs to mend fences with Umno president first before having any shot at joining cabinet through party.

Speculation continues to be rife as to who Umno might push to fill in its quota of seven ministers after Tengku Zafrul Abdul Aziz quit the party in a bid to join PKR.

Despite public chatter about a comeback for Umno-outsider Khairy Jamaluddin, party insiders said there is a more likely candidate - Wanita Umno chief Noraini Ahmad.

"This is based on seniority in the party," said a political operator close to Umno president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi's office, who declined to be named.

While Wanita Umno is a party wing, its chief holds the status of deputy president.

This puts Noraini on par with Umno deputy president Mohamad Hasan and above its three vice-presidents Khaled Nordin, Johari Ghani and Wan Rosdy Wan Ismail.

Mohamad, Khaled and Johari are ministers in Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim's cabinet, while Wan Rosdy is the Pahang menteri besar.

Besides seniority, getting Noraini, who is the deputy minister of women, family and community development, elevated to the minister level might be a shot in the arm for Wanita Umno - long held as a key backbone for the party, especially in rural communities - amid declining support for Umno.

Party sources said she might make a return as higher education minister, a post she held from 2020 to 2022 under the Muhyiddin Yassin and Ismail Sabri Yaakob administrations.

Noraini declined to comment when contacted.

KJ needs to offer olive branch

The same sources backing Noraini explained that those putting their bets on Khairy may not have the odds in their favour.

Khairy, a former Umno Youth chief, was among a number of members sacked by the party in January 2023 for supposedly breaching party discipline during the 15th general election.

Prior to his sacking, Khairy was openly at odds with Zahid, and had wanted to unseat him as party president in that year's party election.

Now in the political wilderness, one party source said that a Khairy comeback has to start with him making amends with Zahid.

But even if Khairy is accepted back in Umno, insiders say the chances that his name will be proposed as a minister are slim.

"First of all, he is not even in the Umno supreme council.

"So he shouldn't even make it to the list (to be proposed for a minister post) as this is the least requirement set by Umno," said a source from the party headquarters.

READ MORE: Khairy's rumoured cabinet return: Reform opportunity or political gamble?

Zafrul, notably, was made a minister in Anwar’s cabinet despite not holding any central Umno leadership posts at the time of his appointment. The senator was only appointed to the supreme council months after he was made a minister.

Khairy - whose last cabinet post was health minister - has dismissed any imminent return to cabinet, saying he is "not thinking of rejoining politics" at least until the year end.

The timing is notable as December is when Zafrul's final term as senator - and therefor his time in cabinet - ends.

A Khairy appointment to the cabinet may also bypass Umno altogether, as the prime minister does have the prerogative to make him an independent senator for him to take up a minister post.

Could Reezal rise instead?

Besides Noraini and Khairy, one Umno source is also floating the possibility of another former minister - Reezal Merican Naina Merican - joining the Anwar administration as a possible replacement for Zafrul at the Investment, Trade, and Industry Ministry.

"If we are looking for someone to lead the ministry, Reezal might be a good fit.

"He has been leading the Malaysia External Trade Development Corporation (Matrade), so he has the experience," said the Umno source.

Matrade is a government agency under the Investment, Trade, and Industry Ministry tasked with promoting Malaysia's exports.

Reezal - who is also an Umno supreme council member - was appointed as its chairperson in April 2023 on a two-year contract, which had since been renewed until 2027.

Like Noraini, the Bertam assemblyperson also has experience as a cabinet member, having been appointed as the housing and local government minister from August 2021 until November 2022 in Ismail Sabri's cabinet.

He was also the deputy foreign minister between 2015 and 2018 under then premier Najib Abdul Razak’s leadership.

In a response to Malaysiakini, Reezal dismissed the notion with a humble note.

“I don’t think so. Because I have lost my MP seat, and was also defeated in the race for party vice-presidency.

“There are many other leaders who have won (to be considered as a candidate).

“For now, I’m truly grateful for the trust placed in me by the government, especially the minister, to extend my tenure at Matrade, and I’m only keen to undertake that amanah (responsibility) diligently,” he said.

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