KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 16 — Umno Youth chief Khairy Jamaluddin today defended his policy speech calling on the Malays to end their siege mentality and to abandon the concept of “Malay dominance” in favour of “Malay leadership” after it drew some flak from right-wing elements in the party.
“Well, people are free to say what they want to say about it. I don't mind if they criticise because it is a free country they can say whatever they want,” he said.
Most Malay-language newspapers, particularly those aligned with Umno, failed to highlight his call for the Malays to end their siege mentality, in reporting his speech at the opening of Umno's Youth assembly.
Some Umno blogs have also attacked him, by suggesting his speech appeared to be more in line with opposition leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim's rhetoric than that of Umno.
One blog — anotherbrickinwall.blogspot.com — accused Khairy of siding with the opposition.
“Now that Khairy has made open his stand on Malays and Bumiputera special rights, does that mean he is on the side of opposition critics who keep labelling Umno and nationalists as racist every time the mere mention of constitutional rights of the Malays are defended?” the writer of the blog asked in a posting.
But Khairy said today he would stick to what he said in his first speech since being elected the Umno Youth chief in March.
“I stand by what I said. I have nothing to be ashamed about because that is what I believe in,” Khairy told The Malaysian Insider.
His message for the Youth wing to be consistent with the central leadership's message to avoid being accused “as a party in disarray, hypocrites, without a consistent ideology for the people and electorate,” has also not been well accepted by some in Umno.
“Umno Youth must be the voice of the people, the people's unhappiness must be made known to the leadership,” said Datuk Seri Dr Khir Toyo, who lost the Youth chief contest last March to Khairy.
“The Youth must understand the Prime Minister's message that the era of government knows best is over,” said Khir
He cited the lobbying efforts for the Bagan Pinang by-election candidate to justify his accusation that the movement had failed to speak for the grassroots.
“In Bagan Pinang many questions were raised regarding Tan Sri Isa Samad's past, when he was actually the grassroots' choice, Umno Youth should have fought for his candidacy,” said Khir, who is Sungai Besar Umno division chief.
“If they just toe the line, they will be irrelevant,” he added.
But Kelantan delegate Datuk Alwi Che Ahmad defended Khairy's statement, saying that it does not mean he was seeking to end the wing's role as a pressure group.
“It is a very refreshing speech, we have not heard such a speech from the Youth chief for a very long time,” Alwi told The Malaysian Insider.
“The Youth cannot just know how to pressure the leadership, they must work hand in hand with the central leaders,” he added.
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