KJ denies Zahid's allegations, admits he's not a 'yes man'

KUALA LUMPUR: Barisan Nasional’s (BN) candidate for Sungai Buloh, Khairy Jamaluddin, has denied UMNO President Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi's claim that he was the one who asked to contest the seat in the 15th General Election (GE15).

Quoting a Free Malaysia Today report, Khairy said that he had been waiting for a signal from the party leadership as to where he would be standing but did not hear anything from them, so he decided to take his own initiative.

"I was abandoned. I knew I had to get out of Rembau, so at that time I had no choice but to take my own initiative.

“I made the move to (meet) Noh Omar (Selangor BN chairman) and Vicky (MIC President S.A. Vigneswaran).

"There weren't many (parliamentary) seats left, only two or three at that time.

“So, I said it's OK and I choose Sungai Buloh. It's not that I choose (to contest the Sungai Buloh parliamentary seat) from the beginning," he said at a press conference.

Khairy at the same time claimed that he was not Ahmad Zahid's favourite party member, adding that he might not be the UMNO president’s choice.

"I am not the president's favourite because I am not a 'yes man'," he said.

Earlier, Ahmad Zahid revealed that Khairy, who is former MP for Rembau, had asked to contest the Sungai Buloh parliamentary seat.

He added that no one forced or insisted that the Minister of Health stand as a candidate in the constituency.

"KJ asked to be given the opportunity to contest there and I fulfilled his request," he said when met by the media after visiting the Titiwangsa Election Operations Room on Wednesday.