Khairy’s challenger makes “Bangladeshi working in Malaysia” jibe
An aspirant for the Umno Youth chief post has said incumbent Khairy Jamaluddin was like a “Bangladeshi national” working in Malaysia as he never studied in the country.
Syed Rosli Syed Harman Jamalullail (pic) said Khairy never grew up in the country and would never be able to understand and defend the rights of the Malays.
“He is akin to a Bangladeshi who is in Malaysia (to work). He was 20 when he returned. When he talks about Malay struggles, what does he know? He has never been educated here.
“To understand the struggles of our community, we have to at least experience it ourselves,” the 37-year-old told reporters after submitting his nomination forms at the Putra World Trade Centre this morning.
Syed Rosli, who is from the Pandan Umno division, pitched his case to be elected to the post by declaring that he had a feel for the grassroots.
“I grew up in Malaysia, so I understand the problems faced by the grassroots. Khairy has his advantages of course, but he failed to understand the problems, so what’s the point of being highly-educated?”
Besides Syed Rosli, another contender, Akramsyah Muammar Ubaidah Sanusi, also submitted his nomination forms.
Syed Rosli earlier caused a stir when he swore on the Quran at the nomination centre not to practise corruption and money politics.
“I swear to be a clean leader if given the chance to lead the Youth wing,” he said.
In the 2009 Umno polls, Khairy garnered 304 votes in a three-way fight with Datuk Mukhriz Mahathir (254 votes) and former Selangor menteri besar Dr Mohd Khir Toyo (232 votes).
Registration for the nomination of candidates to contest top positions in the Wanita, Youth and Puteri Umno wings is today, while the elections of the three wings will be held on October 12. Elections for the party's top office bearers will be on October 19.
Yesterday, Akhramsyah vowed to restore the wing to its rightful role as a pressure group within Umno, a role which he said has been usurped by right-wing Malay groups such as Perkasa.
"Members in Umno Youth were complaining that the wing's leaders do not go to the ground enough.
"Worst, they are accusing the wing of no longer being a pressure group and not championing the Malay agenda," he said at a press conference in Kuala Lumpur in a thinly-veiled attack on moderate incumbent Khairy.
This, he lamented, has led to non-governmental groups taking over the vacuum left by the wing.
In keeping with his rhetoric, Akhramsyah announced his campaign slogan as "Hidup Melayu" (Long Live Malays).
Akhramsyah, the son of former one-term Kedah menteri besar Tan Sri Sanusi Junid, denied that he is bringing an extremist brand of politics into the wing, which is the opposite of party president Datuk Seri Najib Razak's moderate stand.
Akhramsyah, 40, denied talk that he is the proxy of influential former Umno president Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad, saying he is only the proxy of the grassroots who want change.
The King's College graduate, however, conceded he is an underdog in this contest.
Umno recently drew flak from Dr Mahathir, who labelled it "an ailing old man" and criticised the party for not allowing young blood to rise to higher positions of power. - September 20, 2013.
