Malaysia's Covid star Khairy faces 'fight for political life', eyes PM job

46-year-old Khairy Jamaluddin will take on the opposing Pakatan Harapan coalition, which won the constituency with a comfortable 26,000-vote margin in the 2018 general election.Malaysia's popular Health Minister Khairy Jamaluddin, who led the country's Covid-19 response, has staked a claim on the prime minister's post as he fights to win Saturday's general election after being thrust into contesting a difficult seat.

Such a pronouncement, particularly in his Umno party – where the prime ministership is traditionally tied to the party presidency – is almost unheard of, given its adherence to respecting the hierarchy and toeing the party line. "I've come to a crossroads in my political career... I have to make a decision soon whether I step up or not, and this is it," he said to BFM.

He has been at the forefront of debates on various issues, including some that go against the official party stance, such as repealing laws that stifle free press and online censorship. The two previously butted heads contesting the party presidency after Umno's defeat in the 2018 general election, with Khairy seeing it as an opportunity to revamp the leadership. At the time, Khairy's loss was seen by analysts as an indication that the party was reluctant to opt for a fresher, younger outlook.

Crystal Liam, a Sungai Buloh resident, said while Khairy was "different" from the usual cadre of Umno leaders, a vote for him was still a vote for the party.However, Khairy has his fair share of supporters. Student Farah Aina said it would be thrilling to have a future prime minister from her constituency and it being Khairy was a massive plus.

Singapore Latest News, Singapore Headlines

Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.

Malaysia GE: Covid-positive patients can skip polling queue, says Health MinisterThey must confirm their Covid-19 status with health personnel present at voting centres Read more at straitstimes.com. straits_times So everyone who want to jump queue just have to fake covid positive hor!!! Well done 👏👏👏
Source: STForeignDesk - 🏆 4. / 71 Read more »

Fear in Chinese city rumoured to be exiting Covid ZeroResidents feared the rumoured opening up after Covid-19 numbers surged in China. Read more at straitstimes.com.
Source: STForeignDesk - 🏆 4. / 71 Read more »

IMF: calibrating China's COVID strategy critical to sustaining recoveryBEIJING : Calibrating China's zero-COVID strategy to mitigate the country's economic impact will be critical to sustain and balance the recovery, Gita Gopinath, the first deputy managing director of the IMF, told the Caixin Summit on Thursday.'For China, inflation and weakening growth allow for greater su
Source: ChannelNewsAsia - 🏆 6. / 66 Read more »

Hong Kong cuts Covid-19 testing requirement for new arrivalsInbound travellers to Hong Kong will only need to undergo polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tests on the first and third day of arrival from next Monday, as the city further relaxes Covid-19 screening rules for those entering the city. Undersecretary for Health Libby Lee Ha-yun on Thursday (Nov 17) said the decision to drop PCR tests on the fifth and...
Source: asiaonecom - 🏆 10. / 59 Read more »

Oil falls as geopolitical tensions ease, China COVID-19 concerns returnSINGAPORE: Oil prices fell for a second day in early Asian trade on Thursday (Nov 17) as concerns over geopolitical tensions eased and rising numbers of COVID-19 cases in China added to demand worries in the worl
Source: ChannelNewsAsia - 🏆 6. / 66 Read more »

IMF: Calibrating China’s Covid-19 strategy critical to sustaining recoveryCovid-19 cases top 23,000 for Wednesday, nearing the all-time high reached during the Shanghai outbreak early in 2022. Read more at straitstimes.com.
Source: STForeignDesk - 🏆 4. / 71 Read more »