When we lose war, general must go: Khairy tells Zahid to quit

KUALA LUMPUR – Khairy Jamaluddin has fired a salvo at Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, urging the Umno president to resign for losing the election “war”.

Khairy, who lost in Sg Buloh, has blamed the strategy laid out by the Umno president for the party’s losses in the recently concluded general election.

“When we lose the war, the general must have the dignity to bear responsibility. The president must bow out. Now. Umno’s reformasi cannot be delayed anymore,” he tweeted.

Apabila kalah dalam peperangan, Panglima besar mesti ada maruah untuk mengambil tanggungjawab. Lebih2 lagi bila strategi perang diatur oleh Panglima besar telah sebabkan ramai soldadu di medan tersungkur.

Presiden mesti undur. Sekarang. Reformasi UMNO tidak boleh ditangguh lagi.

— Khairy Jamaluddin 🇲🇾🌺 (@Khairykj) November 20, 2022

During Khairy’s election campaign, he said he had plans to cleanse and course-correct Umno if he wins the parliamentary seat as his party is now “sesat” (lost).

“Just that Umno is ‘sesat’ and has to return to the right path. Umno has to be fixed. But first I have to win the seat and ensure that (Umno vice-president Datuk Seri) Ismail Sabri returns as prime minister.

“Then we cleanse Umno and BN,” he was quoted as saying by Astro Awani.

“I’m a reformist in Umno, (I) cannot stay quiet. Maybe that is why I was sent to (contest in) Sg Buloh.”

Prior to nomination day on November 5, he was asked to make way for Umno deputy president Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan in Rembau – a seat Khairy has held since 2008.

There had been murmurs that Zahid was looking to remove Khairy from the picture as a message to those aligned with Ismail Sabri, who has been reported to lead a separate faction within the party.

Khairy had also made public his ambitions to be prime minister, saying, “Someday I want to lead Umno. I want to be your prime minister, but I must win Sg Buloh first.”

Previously, The Vibes reported that Khairy said he had “no choice” but to stand in Sg Buloh after the party’s decision, but Zahid contradicted this by saying that Khairy asked him for the seat and that he should “be thankful” for being fielded there.

Khairy lost in Sg Buloh as Pakatan Harapan’s Datuk R. Ramanan won it with a 2,693-vote majority. – The Vibes, November 20, 2022