Umno doomed if it takes racist stand: Khairy

PETALING JAYA: Khairy Jamaludin (pix) yesterday said Umno "can forget about" retaking Putrajaya if the party only focuses on issues such as the appointments of a non-Malay attorney-general and chief justice.
He said on Twitter that Umno was currently at crossroads, and if it chooses "to go right instead of taking the middle path", it runs the risk of becoming irrelevant within the next 10 to 15 years.
The Rembau MP added that he declined offers to take up positions after his defeat in the recent party polls as he needed to be unencumbered to speak out within Umno.
"Let there be diversity in the voices within Umno, (although) some have labelled me 'liberal'," he tweeted.
"Since the conclusion of the Umno polls, what has my party done? (They) play up racial sentiments, start a fund for the ex-president ... and repeat.
"We received the death blow in the 14th general elections, but we are still deaf to the rakyat's voice.
"The concerns of the Malays are there ... but those issues may seem small compared to social problems and matters involving the country's economic situation."
He said it was not wrong to express solidarity with (Datuk Seri Najib Abdul Razak), but that should not be all that the "new Umno" is about.
"I still believe Umno can be a good platform for the Malays. Its original DNA is one that is moderate, aligned to the middle path and embraces diversity.
"That is why I am still with the party," he said.
"But I do not agree with the racist manifestation that is becoming widespread after the party elections," he added.