OPINION | Is KJ Prime Minister Material?
16 Jan 2026 • 7:00 AM MYT
.png)
Fa Abdul
FA ABDUL is a former columnist of Malaysiakini & Free Malaysia Today (FMT)
Photo credit: Focus Malaysia
Recently, Ong Kian Ming publicly endorsed former Umno Youth chief Khairy Jamaluddin as a future prime minister. Kian Ming said he is ready to campaign for KJ at the next general election, regardless of party, and is even willing to serve in KJ’s Cabinet if asked. KJ described the endorsement as a reminder that “friendships endure through fair winds and stormy seas,” highlighting a rare bond across political lines.
Kian Ming’s public endorsement of KJ clearly sparked conversation and it inspired Tajuddin Rasdi’s recent opinion piece in Free Malaysia Today, “KJ–Ong: the third force Malaysians desperately need?”. Written with hope, Tajuddin is tired of race and religion politics. Many of us are too. He imagines a fresh option, something new, something that could move Malaysia forward. That feeling is real, and it is shared by many Malaysians. But hope alone is not enough.
Tajuddin is excited by the idea of Kian Ming teaming up with KJ. He sees it as a way out of the endless Anwar–Zahid and Muhyiddin–Hadi cycle. He believes this pairing could offer a calmer, more progressive future.
But the question is not whether this idea sounds nice. The question is whether it is honest.
You see, a true third force must break clearly from the past. Not in tone. Not in branding. But in values and actions.
The truth is, KJ did not just come from Umno - he rose in it. During the 1MDB scandal, he defended Najib Razak and urged party members to stand together. He did not leave Umno over corruption or principle. He was expelled much later for other reasons. This matters. If Umno had not sacked him, there is no strong reason to believe he would not still be there today.
Reinvention is easy when circumstances force it. Moral courage is harder when it costs power. Calling this a “third force” without addressing that history feels like asking Malaysians to move on without first being honest about what happened.
Supporters of the KJ–Ong idea often say they are smart, capable, able to govern, speak well, and are not extreme. All of that may be true. But Malaysia does not suffer from a lack of smart people. We suffer from a lack of accountability. Kian Ming is often seen as principled and thoughtful. Yet he has also spoken about political “resets” and moving forward, even when that risks softening accountability for corruption.
When justice becomes something that can be negotiated for stability, trust breaks down. A third force cannot be built on asking people to forget.
Tajuddin says Malaysia needs to move away from race and religion politics. That is true. But the hard question remains: has KJ ever truly rejected race-based politics, or has he only managed it more gently?
There is a big difference between ending a system and making it more polite. Malaysians have seen polite corruption before. We have seen calm speeches alongside serious wrongdoing. Without a clear break from racialised policies, elite protection, selective justice, and economic systems that favour the few, there is no real change - only a softer version of the same problems.
This is why the KJ–Ong idea makes many people uneasy. It feels like old politics with new faces, elite comfort dressed up as reform, asking ordinary Malaysians to be patient again.
A third force should not begin with personalities. It should begin with values. With clear lines. With honesty about the past.
Malaysia does need a new political path. That much is clear. But that path cannot be built on selective memory.
Before asking Malaysians to believe again, leaders must first show they understand why trust was broken. Until then, calling something “new” does not make it so.
Sometimes, the hardest part of moving forward is admitting who helped keep us stuck.
Recently, Ong Kian Ming publicly endorsed former Umno Youth chief Khairy Jamaluddin as a future prime minister. Kian Ming said he is ready to campaign for KJ at the next general election, regardless of party, and is even willing to serve in KJ’s Cabinet if asked. KJ described the endorsement as a reminder that “friendships endure through fair winds and stormy seas,” highlighting a rare bond across political lines.
Kian Ming’s public endorsement of KJ clearly sparked conversation and it inspired Tajuddin Rasdi’s recent opinion piece in Free Malaysia Today, “KJ–Ong: the third force Malaysians desperately need?”. Written with hope, Tajuddin is tired of race and religion politics. Many of us are too. He imagines a fresh option, something new, something that could move Malaysia forward. That feeling is real, and it is shared by many Malaysians. But hope alone is not enough.
Tajuddin is excited by the idea of Kian Ming teaming up with KJ. He sees it as a way out of the endless Anwar–Zahid and Muhyiddin–Hadi cycle. He believes this pairing could offer a calmer, more progressive future.
But the question is not whether this idea sounds nice. The question is whether it is honest.
You see, a true third force must break clearly from the past. Not in tone. Not in branding. But in values and actions.
The truth is, KJ did not just come from Umno - he rose in it. During the 1MDB scandal, he defended Najib Razak and urged party members to stand together. He did not leave Umno over corruption or principle. He was expelled much later for other reasons. This matters. If Umno had not sacked him, there is no strong reason to believe he would not still be there today.
Reinvention is easy when circumstances force it. Moral courage is harder when it costs power. Calling this a “third force” without addressing that history feels like asking Malaysians to move on without first being honest about what happened.
Supporters of the KJ–Ong idea often say they are smart, capable, able to govern, speak well, and are not extreme. All of that may be true. But Malaysia does not suffer from a lack of smart people. We suffer from a lack of accountability. Kian Ming is often seen as principled and thoughtful. Yet he has also spoken about political “resets” and moving forward, even when that risks softening accountability for corruption.
When justice becomes something that can be negotiated for stability, trust breaks down. A third force cannot be built on asking people to forget.
Tajuddin says Malaysia needs to move away from race and religion politics. That is true. But the hard question remains: has KJ ever truly rejected race-based politics, or has he only managed it more gently?
There is a big difference between ending a system and making it more polite. Malaysians have seen polite corruption before. We have seen calm speeches alongside serious wrongdoing. Without a clear break from racialised policies, elite protection, selective justice, and economic systems that favour the few, there is no real change - only a softer version of the same problems.
This is why the KJ–Ong idea makes many people uneasy. It feels like old politics with new faces, elite comfort dressed up as reform, asking ordinary Malaysians to be patient again.
A third force should not begin with personalities. It should begin with values. With clear lines. With honesty about the past.
Malaysia does need a new political path. That much is clear. But that path cannot be built on selective memory.
Before asking Malaysians to believe again, leaders must first show they understand why trust was broken. Until then, calling something “new” does not make it so.
Sometimes, the hardest part of moving forward is admitting who helped keep us stuck.
No difference between him & kuey tiau seller fatty Jo Loh😁
ReplyDeleteAnother brillant article by my favourite local writer....honest, simple and point blank.
ReplyDelete"A third force should not begin with personalities. It should begin with values. With clear lines. With honesty about the past."
Fantastic point by her,
BTW, I don't trust that Prof. To me he is an opportunist and both he and KJ are sheep in wolve clothings.