Speech of PM, govt in waiting, says KJ of Zahid’s Umno address

Former Umno Youth leader Khairy Jamaluddin praised Umno president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi's keynote address at the party's general assembly today, describing it as a "speech of a prime minister in waiting" and a "government in waiting." Khairy, who returned to Umno for the first time, commented on the address after it was delivered. In his speech, Zahid called for the reintroduction of the GST at a more reasonable rate, as part of the proposed "Malaysia Blue Agenda" that the Barisan Nasional and its partners would pursue if they were to lead the country again.

He also made a veiled reference to Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, suggesting that Umno could do better than the leader he referred to as "guru" and urged him to listen to the people. Meanwhile, former Umno vice-president Hishammuddin Hussein emphasized that the future of Umno and the Barisan Nasional depended on the leadership's ability to inspire a comeback and emerge stronger.

He acknowledged that every party experiences ups and downs and that Umno had faced ridicule, attacks, and slander in the past, which had only strengthened their resolve. Hishammuddin believed that it was now up to the leadership to steer the party towards greater heights. Umno stalwart Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah welcomed Zahid's message for members to come together, including encouraging former members to return to the party. He expressed the desire for a "big family."