KUALA LUMPUR, 28 March 2009: Umno Youth head Khairy Jamaluddin said the right to appoint members of the government administration, particularly members of the cabinet, lies entirely with the Prime Minister.
He said it was not for anyone to demand, ask or show interest to seek for such positions.
He said this to reporters yesterday after chairing the first Umno Youth Executive Committee (Exco) meeting after winning the top post in the movement on 25 March.
Khairy said it was not the culture of Umno Youth to ask for positions for its members.
“This is not the Umno Youth that I would like to lead. If there are opportunities given to us, we will accept. But, for me to request, I won’t,” he said.
He said the decision on the matter was the absolute prerogative of Najib who would take over the prime minister’s post.
“We leave it to him to decide. That is a hypothetical question,” he added.
Asked how he would lift the spirit of the movement’s 700,000 members without him being appointed to the cabinet, Khairy said, he was not worried as he had a very strong executive committee line up.
“I can see how strong we are in today’s discussions, so I’m not worried if I am not given any post. I have no problem, the executive committee and I will take care of the 700,000 members,” he said.
Khairy also said he was prepared to work with the two Umno Youth chief candidates — Datuk Mukhriz Mahathir and Datuk Seri Dr Khir Toyo — in the campaign for the Bukit Gantang parliamentary and Bukit Selambau state by-elections. — Bernama
