PKR's Ramanan blasts Khairy's PM ambition, says not the same as Anwar's

Pakatan Harapan's (PH) candidate for Sungai Buloh today hit out at his opponent from Barisan Nasional (BN), Khairy Jamaluddin, who last night announced his intention of one day becoming the prime minister, while defending the long-held ambition of his party boss to do the same. 

R Ramanan of PKR said Khairy's remarks had been insensitive to the people's current situation. 

Describing Khairy as "power-crazy", he said the health minister had shown his true colours. 

"Even as we are trying to overcome the hardships of the people – the rising cost of living, the youth unemployment rate, the flood problems, and corruption – he is busy talking about power," he said in a statement to MalaysiaNow. 

Khairy, the Rembau incumbent, was fielded in Sungai Buloh to make way for Umno deputy president Mohamad Hasan to contest his seat instead. 

Speaking at a campaign event in the constituency last night, he voiced ambitions of one day leading Umno and becoming the prime minister, although he reiterated that Ismail Sabri Yaakob would still take the top office if BN won the Nov 19 polls. 

"If you support me today, one day, I want to lead Umno. One day, I want to be your prime minister, to raise up this country," he said. 

Khairy, a former Umno Youth chief, had previously traded blows with Ramanan as well over the latter's allegation that money had been misused in the youth and sports ministry, a portfolio once held by Khairy. 

Khairy had urged Ramanan not to use metaphors if he wanted to accuse him of being involved.

Sungai Buloh will witness a seven-way fight among candidates from BN, PH, Perikatan Nasional, Parti Rakyat Malaysia and Pejuang, as well as two independent contestants. 

Ramanan was fielded in place of the incumbent, R Sivarasa, while Khairy had held his Rembau seat for three terms before being sent to stand in Sungai Buloh. 

Ramanan said Khairy's ambition of becoming prime minister could not be equated with that of PKR president Anwar Ibrahim, who has been trying for more than two decades to take the top office. 

"In terms of policymaking, during his tenure as minister, Khairy had many failures, especially in handling Covid-19 and the vaccination programme, and so on," the former MIC strongman said. 

Anwar, on the other hand, who is PH's candidate for Tambun, had been recognised as the best finance minister in Asia and the minister responsible for strengthening the country's Islamic financial system, he said.