Former Umno leader Khairy Jamaluddin has revealed that he seriously considered forming his own political party after being expelled from Umno, but ultimately decided against it in the interest of Malay political unity.
Speaking in an exclusive interview, Khairy said the idea was weighed carefully but would have further fragmented an already divided Malay electorate split among Umno, PAS, Amanah and Pejuang.
“The Malay voters already have many parties and I didn’t want to contribute towards even more political fragmentation,” he said, adding that stronger existing parties were a better option for the political landscape.
He noted that newly formed parties often struggle to make an impact within one or two election cycles and face long-term sustainability challenges.
Khairy said he believed a new party would only be viable under two conditions — either with a long runway for development or in the absence of any suitable existing political platform.
However, he emphasised that he still saw Umno as his “natural home”, which influenced his decision not to start afresh.
“It’s not because I cannot do it. It’s because I looked around and I said, there is a natural home for me,” he said.
Khairy, who was previously sacked from Umno in January 2023 over alleged party discipline breaches, formally returned to the party last month under the reconciliation initiative known as Rumah Bangsa.
The initiative was introduced by Umno president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi as part of efforts to bring back former members who were suspended or expelled.
Reflecting on his political journey, Khairy said his return had long been hinted at, joking that even the title of his podcast “Keluar Sekejap” signalled his temporary departure from the party.
He also said he remains committed to advocating reforms within Umno but acknowledged that past efforts may have been too aggressive and misunderstood as personal attacks.
Khairy said the party now appears more open to reform, citing internal leaders who have called for Umno to move beyond nostalgia and rebuild its relevance.
He also pointed to recent remarks by Zahid, who acknowledged past mistakes and expressed openness to rebuilding trust within the party.
On Umno’s future direction, Khairy said upcoming state elections could serve as key indicators in determining whether the party should contest independently in GE16 or continue its current alliances.
He added that Umno’s “Kolaborasi Agung” strategy reflects an effort to maintain flexibility in post-election coalition options, which could include cooperation with Pakatan Harapan, Perikatan Nasional or going solo.
