Jeers greet Khairy

By Carolyn Hong, The Straits Times

The newly-elected Umno Youth president Khairy Jamaluddin is not having an easy time. Not only has former premier Mahathir Mohamad poured scorn on him, but a few delegates also took snide digs at him.

He was booed briefly on Friday, and some delegates also jeered yesterday when his name was mentioned.

A delegate from Kedah yesterday criticised the party's disciplinary board for double standards in allowing Mr Khairy to contest even after finding him guilty of money politics.

Mr Kamal Saidin, from Pendang in Kedah, nearly brought the house down when he equated money politics with football. He said all players in the field were kicking the ball, but the referee had employed double standards by giving a red card and yellow card for the same offence.

'The one with the red card was kicked out, the one with the yellow card can still play. How is that possible?' he said to cheers from the hall.

He was referring to the disciplinary board's decision to disqualify Malacca chief minister Ali Rustam from contesting the deputy presidency for money politics. Mr Khairy was found guilty for the same offence, but only given a warning as the board felt that the evidence was weaker.

This stirred disquiet among the party's 2,500 delegates.

Mr Khairy, in his maiden speech as the Umno Youth chief yesterday, did not allude to any of this. Instead he made a conciliatory speech, thanking the party leaders.

He won some applause when he asked for guidance.

'I know I am shallow in knowledge, and lacking in experience. Correct me so I do not go wrong,' he said.