Here's What Khairy Plans To Change If He Becomes UMNO President
According to the politician, a total restructuring of UMNO is necessary.
By Katrina Khairul Azman — 18 Jun 2018, 01:25 PM
Yesterday, 18 June, UMNO youth chief Khairy Jamaluddin announced in a Facebook post that he had sent in his candidacy application for the position of President of UMNO
"This decision was not an easy one to make," revealed the former Youth and Sports Minister in the post, before admitting that he had initially intended to run for the vice-president role.
However, Khairy said that now that the top post is open to all, he wanted to give the people a choice of a candidate who "represents a shift in generations in UMNO."
According to the politician, a total restructuring of UMNO is necessary to restore the party's strength.
One way to do this, he said, is by making UMNO an inclusive Malay party for everyone rather than just the elites.
"A party for the man on the street, a party that looks after the interest of normal citizens," said the 42-year-old.
"A party that isn't racist, sexist, narrow minded, and no longer deaf to the needs of the people, a party with a big heart to all races," he added.
Khairy also said that there needs to be an "openness" within UMNO in all aspects
The politician urged for transparency, from criticising leaders without the fear of being fired and accepting new members without restrictions, to letting delegates choose their leaders without control from "warlords."
"Let our annual general assemblies become the battleground for ideas in the interests of the people and not a party for rhetorical speeches which only entertain the members," the Rembau MP wrote in the Facebook post.
In ending his post, Khairy acknowledged that despite being flawed and perhaps too young to be the President of UMNO, "we are currently in an unusual period of time that requires taking an unusual route"
"No matter the results, my loyalty to UMNO is unwavering and I will support whoever is chosen to be the President of UMNO," he said, adding that, "The important thing is for this process to be run with a familial spirit so that the party can grow stronger and deal with the challenges ahead."
Netizens took to the comments section to wish Khairy good luck and to express their hope for a strong opposition to the new government
