Behave as if he was inviting reprimand

Umno leaders: Is KJ a team player?

NATION

Tuesday, 17 Jul 2018

by martin carvalho, hemananthani sivanandam, rahimy rahim, loshana k. shagar,  and tarrence tan

Drama in the House: Khairy sitting alone among empty chairs.

PUTRAJAYA: Rembau MP Khairy Jamaluddin’s surprising refusal to join Opposition MPs in a walkout in the Dewan Rakyat has got his party colleagues questioning if he is a team player.

Umno leaders pointed out that his failure to toe the party line came at a time when a show of unity is vital.

Although they are unsure if the three-term MP’s decision not to walk out was “politically motivated”, Khairy’s seniors in Umno said he should have respected the will of the majority and be part of the protest move, even if he did not agree with it.

While some Umno leaders said Khairy seemed to behave as if he was inviting reprimand, a source close to him said it was merely the fact that since Khairy has no party position, it is easier to openly express his opinions.

“Let the board decide,” he told The Star.

Khairy was not the only Oppo­sition MP who stayed put when the rest left the hall. Kimanis lawmaker Datuk Seri Anifah Aman too was seen surrounded by vacant seats.

However, Dr Ahmad Zahid, who is also the Opposition Leader, claimed that Anifah later walked out as well.

“You should ask (about) KJ (Khairy). Anifah walked out eventually,” he said, clearly identifying Khairy as the odd man out.

The Barisan Nasional and PAS MPs walked out of the Dewan Rakyat after Datuk Mohamad Ariff Md Yusof was sworn in as the Speaker for the 14th Parliament.

They claimed that the appointment process was not transparent and a point of order was raised by Datuk Seri Takiyuddin Hassan (PAS-Kota Baru) when Dewan Rakyat secretary Datuk Roosme Hamzah read out the motion proposing Mohamad Ariff as the sole candidate for the post of Speaker.

Khairy said he remained seated because he chose to respect the Speaker’s swearing-in ceremony.

Umno vice-president Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri said he was more surprised than disappointed that Khairy did not join the others in leaving the hall.

“If a team member does not follow the party’s decision, it reflects badly on our unity. People are watching. One cannot be selfish and only think of oneself,” said the Bera MP.

Although Umno supreme council member Datuk Hasni Mohamad does not believe that Khairy’s move was politically motivated, he cautioned against a repeat of such an incident.

“A team must act in unison. The decision of the majority must be respected. At this point, we need a team player, not a rebel.

“Even if it was not his intention to rebel, I’m afraid that was the perception,” he said of Khairy, who lost his bid for the Umno presidency in the recent party polls.

He contested against Dr Ahmad Zahid and Umno veteran Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah, who is also Gua Musang MP.

Datuk Ahmad Maslan, another supreme council member, said Khairy, as the former Youth and Sports minister, should be well aware of the importance of team spirit and unity in securing victory.

“We have just witnessed the conclusion of the World Cup. If a team is in disarray and doesn’t play as one, it will not win. I hope that after this, he will be a good team member.

“In the next five years, I’m sure there will be more moments that need us to be united in facing the Pakatan Harapan government and lawmakers, so Khairy needs to be on the same page as the rest of us,” said the Pontian MP.

In an apparent reference to what Khairy did in the Dewan Rakyat, Umno secretary-general Tan Sri Annuar Musa issued a reminder that no one is bigger than the party.

“There is no superhero, no Superman, and as far as we (Umno) are concerned, no one is indispensable. We can be considerate, we can tolerate, but there is a limit to everything,” he told a press conference at the Umno headquarters.

He added, however, that since Khairy had not attended a meeting of Barisan MPs on Sunday night, it was possible that he had not been aware of the walkout plan.

“Maybe Khairy was busy preparing to watch the World Cup final. Let’s give him the benefit of doubt,” said Annuar.

He continued with the football references: “As far as Khairy’s action is concerned, the ball is at his feet because the president (Dr Ahmad Zahid) has been very tolerant. It is up to Khairy whether he wants to shoot into the opponent’s goal or score an own goal.”

Of late, Khairy had been publicly critical of his own party.

In a series of tweets on Thursday, he pointed out that Umno had failed to listen to the voices of the people despite a shock defeat in the general election.

Two days later, he lambasted Tan Sri Mohamed Apandi Ali’s appointment and subsequent withdrawal as Umno Supreme Council member, calling the episode “just embarrassing” and “amateur hour”.