Najib & Khairy the political twins?

I wonder whether you have noticed that there are lots of similarities between Najib Tun Razak and Khairy Jamaluddin. For a start, both of course are UMNO-ites.

Both were educated overseas in UK. Both are vey fluent in Malay and English. Both are cosmopolitan, clever, crafty (cunning if you like), convincing and charming (when they wish to be).

Both are scions of UMNO warlords (Najib had his dad and Khairy has had his f-i-l). Both are aware they have enemies within UMNO, but both have been, are and will be survivors.

Khairy has followed Najib’s footsteps to be UMNO Youth Chief.

Najib has oozes of ministerial (and MB) experience, acquired since he was 21, while Khairy has some de facto ones too (while at the 4th Floor) at an early age.

Both are adept at playing the keris-waving or the 1Malaysia game. That’s part of their craftiness, charm and chameleon-like survival instincts in action. Whether they’re convincing enough will depend on their target audience and most certainly not on you, the already committed (or prejudiced) sceptics.

Both are now playing the centrist role.

Najib does so for obvious reasons – he wants the Indians and the Chinese back as supporters to neutralise both PAS and PKR, and he cannot afford to rely on MIC and MCA.

He isn’t so much interested in winning over the DAP faithfuls which have generally existed in solid un-chippable fashion since 1969 – he knows they’re virtually ‘untouchable’ like the PAS core supporters. It’s the uncommitted Indians and Chinese that he woos.

The opportunity to demonstrate fulfilment of his promise to grant RM3 million to the Rasa Chinese primary school following the BN victory in Hulu Selangor was god-sent, a golden occasion to exude sincerity, inclusiveness and a ‘changed’ UMNO, a politically sweet picture enhanced immeasurably against the backdrop of a shrill bigoted Perkasa.

Khairy supports him by rejecting Perkasa’s call to the UMNO government to marginalise the Chinese for their ingratitude.

The three differences between them (apart from their age) that I can think of at this stage are:

(a) their personal ambitions

(b) the demeanour of their respective spouses ;-)

(c) one is loved by Dr Mahathir (or dihutang budi because of his dad) and the other … wakakaka.