Khairy Promises To Close Ranks Among BN If He Wins

KUALA LUMPUR: Umno Youth deputy chief Khairy Jamaluddin, who has offered himself for the wing's top post, has promised to close ranks among the youth wings of all the Barisan Nasional (BN) component parties if he wins in the party polls next March.

"Whoever takes over a Umno Youth chief also take over as BN Youth chief. The first thing for the future Umno Youth chief to do is to see how we can close ranks within the BN and make sure that we cooperata as a structure that can move together," he told reporters after the opening of the Gerakan Youth and Wanita delegates conference here Friday (10 Oct).

Asked on the proposal by Gerakan president Tan Sri Dr Koh Tsu Koon in his opening address that all BN component parties merge and become a single entity, Khairy said the intention behind the suggestion was to strengthen the BN.

He said Umno was open to discuss any ideas for the sake of the party and the idea should not be dismissed.

"The main thing is we must be open-minded because we are talking about the future, new political landscape and I think if we don't have an open mind then we are not showing the rakyat, voters, that we are serious in embracing the changes that had happened over the last six months," he said.

Khairy said all the BN component parties could discuss the suggestion and the mechanism during the BN Convention to be held in February next year.

Khairy said Gerakan and the People's Progresive Party (PPP) could become models for a multiracial party identity. Meanwhile, PPP Youth chief senator T. Murugiah, who is Deputy Minister in the Prime Minister's Department, said a single multiracial party could happen but it would take a long time. (Bernama)