“That’s why it’s important to get the message out there that Ismail is our candidate to be prime minister, as he will be at the crest of change, leading the reforms in Umno and the changing of the guard.

“I hope to be there to support him,” he told FMT in an interview.

Khairy, who is BN’s candidate for the Sungai Buloh parliamentary seat, said the next wave of young Umno candidates, including himself, would play significant roles in the party’s leadership.

“We have an unprecedented number of young, first-time candidates coming through. That, I think, is a story that is underreported and underappreciated.

“And all the other guys in my generation, like Shahril Hamdan and Khairul Azwan Harun, will also contribute to this change,” he said.

These leaders would bring more dynamism, accountability and integrity to Umno, which would boost the people’s confidence in the party and reassure them of Umno’s stability.

“There is tremendous optimism among the grassroots and my colleagues to see these changes,” he said. Khairy urged voters to give the young first-time candidates a chance to show that they could serve the people well.

However, it was important for him and Ismail to win in the general election first before approaching the topic of reforms.

Last week, Khairy said many within Umno were afraid to step up and ask for change, as party members needed to maintain discipline until the elections were over.

He said he wanted to see reforms in his party and win back former supporters.

He did not want Umno to be known for its court cluster, he said, using a popular term which refers to prominent Umno leaders such as Ahmad Zahid Hamidi and former prime minister Najib Razak, who are either on trial or have been convicted on charges such as criminal breach of trust, abuse of power and money laundering.