KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 4 — Health Minister Khairy Jamaluddin confirmed today that he has been asked to “move out” of the Rembau parliamentary seat in Negri Sembilan to make way for Umno deputy president Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan.
The Rembau MP for almost 15 years said he will toe the party line and added that he is now unsure if he will contest in the 15th general election.
“He has informed me to go to another area. Because he is the Rembau chief and I am his deputy, he has requested that I find another area to contest because he wants to contest in Rembau,” the 46-year-old told reporters after officiating an event at the public low-cost flats in Seri Alam 2 here.
“Since has requested that I give way, I have to give way lah,” he added.
Khairy who has been Rembau MP since 2008 said he has not thought about where else he might contest when asked.
“That I don’t know, as I am from Rembau, I am the deputy and I don’t know other areas.
“For more than 20 years my political journey has been in Rembau and I have been an MP for Rembau for almost 15 years, so I have never thought of becoming a candidate in other areas.
“Why would I think about going to other areas when I have been in Rembau for 15 years and since I have been told to move out, I have to work hard to look for a new area that would accept me,” he elaborated.
Khairy said he is loyal to Umno and will abide by all orders from the party’s top echelon.
“It’s just that I haven’t received any instruction and if I want to head to other areas, it’s embarrassing to infiltrate other people’s area.
“In Umno, the politics is that you contest in the area that you have contributed,” he added.
Mohamad confirmed yesterday that he would defend his Rantau state seat that he has held since 2004.
At the same time, he indicated that he might run for a federal seat in the coming GE15.
