Zahid Will Maintain Support for PM Anwar, Says Khairy

KUALA LUMPUR, JULY 24 — Barisan Nasional (BN) chairman Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi will maintain support for Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim even if BN and Perikatan Nasional (PN) deliver a strong performance in the Negeri Sembilan state election, according to former Umno Youth chief Khairy Jamaluddin.

Speaking on the latest episode of the Keluar Sekejap podcast alongside co-host Shahril Hamdan, Khairy acknowledged that a solid showing by the BN-PN alliance could prompt calls within Umno and PN to pressure Zahid into pulling BN’s support from the Federal Unity Government and lobbying Sabah and Sarawak coalitions to follow suit.

However, Khairy argued that the Umno president is unlikely to rush into such a move, explaining that Zahid currently has Anwar “exactly where you want him” and can utilize that leverage to position BN as a practical, professional, and stabilizing political force.

“You can tell people: ‘We will not withdraw support. We respect that the country is still facing crises, including the situation in the Strait of Hormuz and the Middle East, as well as what is happening between (US president Donald) Trump and Iran’,” Khairy said.

“You can say: ‘We may fight at the state level, but I remain the deputy prime minister to PMX, and we will continue playing our role as a responsible party supporting the Madani government’,” he added.

Earlier in the episode, Shahril raised questions regarding whether the combined electoral strength of BN and PN in Negeri Sembilan could become a catalyst for an early general election, and why Anwar appears relaxed despite BN leaders actively criticizing Pakatan Harapan (PH) on the campaign trail.

In response, Khairy observed that the broader political outlook remains unfavorable to PH, particularly with upcoming state elections anticipated in Sarawak and Melaka.

“This government cannot last, especially with the expectation that (elections in Sarawak and Melaka) are coming next, and it does not look good for PH,” Khairy stated.

“For PH in Sarawak, we expect Gabungan Parti Sarawak to trash them, and in Melaka, it won’t look good for PH if it is (again) a BN-PH cooperation,” he noted.

Speculating on potential political realignments, Khairy suggested that Bersatu could eventually seek cooperation with PH again if the Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin-led party fails to win any seats in Negeri Sembilan. He noted that Anwar might consider working with former PKR deputy president Datuk Seri Mohamed Azmin Ali, who now serves as Bersatu secretary-general, to help PH retain Selangor in future elections.

Khairy highlighted that Bersatu still holds 12 state assembly seats in Selangor through lawmakers aligned with Azmin who chose not to defect to Datuk Seri Hamzah Zainudin’s Parti Wawasan Malaysia following internal party friction.

“In Selangor, Bersatu under Azmin may still have a brand and following. Another point is that the chances of Bersama (Rafizi Ramli’s party) becoming a spoiler in Selangor are higher,” Khairy explained.

“So Anwar needs to counter that, and perhaps that could come from Bersatu under Azmin in Selangor,” he added.

-NMT