Khairy announced his candidacy for the presidency today, and withdrew from the contest for one of three vice-presidents’ posts.
He will be up against acting president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi and party stalwart Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah, and several others.
Umno member Rahmat Azim Abdul Aziz has also announced his candidacy but may be disqualified for not having previously served on the Supreme Council or as division chief.
Political analyst Prof Zainal Kling said Khairy would face “some struggle” in contending for the top post. “He still has a lot to learn as he does not have the experience of the vice-president and deputy president. It is a bit fast for him to go straight up for president,” Zainal said.
However, younger leaders such as Khairy were needed to take charge in Umno because he would understand what younger members want and could come out with ideas that suited them, he said.
Prof Ahmad Atory Hussain said Khairy’s contest for the president might be seen as an attempt to break the hierarchical route taken by past candidates.
“For over the past 60 years, only the deputy or vice-presidents would go for the president’s position. Not the Youth chief. But times have changed because Umno members want an experienced and convincing leader to listen to them in the coming five years, where they are not in the government for the first time,” he said.
When asked if Khairy could lead Umno and be the opposition leader in the Dewan Rakyat, Atory said older members might have second thoughts about him.
Political geostrategist Azmi Hassan, however, said a young leader like Khairy might stand a chance to win in a multi-cornered contest.
“I believe he is in the contest because of the ‘Ku Li’ factor. There was a lot of resentment from the younger members when Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah announced that he would contest,” he said.
Umno Veterans’ secretary-general Mustapha Yaakub said whoever takes charge of the Malay party must lead reforms in the party.
“Umno members lost their confidence after the May 9 general election. We need a ‘doctor’, probably not from the current leadership, to cure Umno,” he said.
Mustapha believes that Tengku Razaleigh is the “doctor” to treat Umno, whereas Zahid and Khairy were part of the Umno leadership that led the party to defeat.
More than 180,000 Umno branch leaders are expected to choose the Umno leadership on June 30, the first party elections to be held since 2013.