Khairy is PUNB chairman from April 1

KUALA LUMPUR, March 27 — Umno Youth Chief Khairy Jamaluddin has been officially named as Perbadanan Usahawan Nasional Bhd (PUNB) chairman, effective April 1.

Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak chaired the Yayasan Pelaburan Bumiputera’s Board of Trustees' meeting on March 8, where the decision was made PUNB’s statement to Bernama read.

The Malaysian Insider reported on February 28 that Khairy (picture), who is also the Rembau MP, was to be appointed to this position.

Khairy defends attacks on Guan Eng’s son, calls critics hypocrites

Khairy tweeted today that BN politicians and their families had been on the receiving end of even worse insults from the Opposition in the past. — file pic

KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 18 — Khairy Jamaluddin suggested today there was nothing wrong with his remarks about allegations involving Lim Guan Eng’s teenage son, and called his critics hypocrites for pointing out that he was perpetrating lies about a member of a political rival’s family.

Earlier today, Lim said he was furious with the “barbaric lies” made about his teenage son by “pro-Umno ferocious beasts,” singling out Khairy and other ruling party leaders for perpetuating the allegations through snide comments on blogs and social media sites.

Responding via his Twitter account to the criticisms, the Umno Youth chief said Barisan Nasional (BN) politicians and their families had been on the receiving end of even worse insults from the Opposition in the past.

Red-faced Umno Youth to let Khairy decide on PAS Youth debate offer

Umno Youth will allow its head Khairy Jamaluddin to decide whether or not to accept the PAS Youth offer to debate the circumstances surrounding national independence.

PAS Youth secretary Khairul Faizi Ahmad Kamil. presented the invitation today to his Umno Youth counterpart Megat Firdouz Megat Junid in Kuala Lumpur.

“I will extend it to Khairy to decide whether to accept the invitation or not. We will give an official answer as soon as possible,” Megat Firdouz told the joint press conference that followed.

For national security, Khairy defends keeping arms purchases top secret

Umno Youth chief Khairy Jamaluddin has declared support for a Freedom of Information (FOI) Act, but stressed last night that several areas needed to be excluded in the interest of national security, such as defence procurements.

He pointed out that “no country will disclose specifications” of their military hardware due to security concerns.

Khairy breaks ranks, calls for release of EO6

The Umno Youth chief says he will convey his personal view to the prime minister.

KUALA LUMPUR: Umno Youth chief Khairy Jamaluddin has broken ranks by calling for the release of six Parti Sosialis Malaysia (PSM) detained under the Emergency Ordinance (EO).

Khairy, who called the arrests “misguided” and will convey his personal view to Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak, is the first leader from Barisan Nasional (BN) to call for the release of the EO6.

Act against Ibrahim Ali for racist statement, says Khairy

KUALA LUMPUR - Umno Youth chief Khairy Jamaluddin urged the authorities to take action against Malay rights group Perkasa's president Datuk Ibrahim Ali for 'threatening' the Chinese community.

"It is a racist and seditious statement that is dangerous.

"Action should be taken against him as his statement is a clear threat," he told reporters at Parliament's lobby here on Monday.

He added that the authorities should use the Sedition Act to investigate Ibrahim over his statement.

Although supporting freedom of expression, Khairy said that Ibrahim had gone beyond that and had made a threat against the Chinese community by asking them to 'stock-up' for July 9.

He assured the Chinese community that the view put forth by Ibrahim was solely his own and did not represent that of Malays in general.

"Umno Youth does not subscribe to such a view," he added.

Ibrahim, who recently announced that Perkasa would hold a demonstration to counter the planned Bersih 2.0 street rally on July 9, had called on the Chinese to stock up on food.

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Hisham raises eyebrows, warns Khairy to scrap July 9 rally plans

Home Minister Hishammuddin Hussein raised eyebrows when he said the plan by UMNO Youth Chief Khairy Jamaluddin to hold a rally on July 9 to counter the Bersih 2.0 gathering did not reflect UMNO's stand.

"How can that be? Is he saying UMNO Youth is a renegade wing, what is happening there?" Gopeng MP Lee Boon Chye told Malaysia Chronicle.

Indeed, the strength of Hisham's warning has raised doubts on whether Khairy's decision had the backing of the Youth committee or if it was "lone-ranger" effort. So far, Khairy has not commented on Hisham's warning.

At a press conference on Friday, Hisham reiterated that any rally held without a police permit was illegal, and if UMNO Youth took part, those who were caught would have to face the consequences.

“When it comes to that, it doesn’t matter whether I’m former Youth chief or not. They will have to face whatever consequences [for] their action… and it’s purely Pemuda’s stand,” Hisham told reporters.

“They will have to deal with the police. I expect the police to do the same with the three rallies. We are looking it at a legal standpoint. Nobody is above the law. That’s always been my position.”

Slap in the face

Khairy had announced late Thursday that the Youth would hold a rally on the same day to “strengthen the democratic system”. But although his group plans to use the same route as the Bersih march, he said it will not join the Bersih rally.

He also stressed that unlike Bersih, which is holding the peacful gathering to highlight the need for electoral reform, UMNO Youth supported the existing system.

The third group planning to march on July 9 is ultra Malay rights group Perkasa, which wants Bersih to cancel its rally.

While both UMNO Youth and its sister unit unit Perkasa have insisted their basis for choosing the same day as Bersih was due to their love for democracy, pundits suspect they were out to cause trouble and pressure election watchdog body to cancel.

"No, we have no plans at all to cancel. Everything is systems go," PKR vice president Tian Chua told Malaysia Chronicle.

"We won't be deterred by all the sandiwara from UMNO. It's a waste of time. Bersih is not a Pakatan show although we support it strongly. The people are the ones who have a message to express, otherwise they won't attend. What they want is free, fair and clean elections. That's all, why come down so hard on them."

Prime Minister Najib Razak sees the Bersih's Walk for Democracy as a slap in the face for his leadership. The rally is supported by most of the NGOs in the country as well as the Pakatan Rakyat opposition coalition.

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