Speaking on the latest episode of his Keluar Sekejap podcast, the former youth and sports minister said Zahid’s improving prospects were due to ongoing internal disputes in other parties.

“The odds for Zahid are moving from improbable to quite probable, maybe not the favourite,” he said.

Khairy said Umno appears more internally stable than other parties, citing its ability to manage disagreements effectively.

He also noted that Umno, with about 20 to 30 parliamentary seats, could play a decisive role in determining whether Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim remains in power after the next general election.

“In any configuration of parties, Umno will hold the key to deciding whether the prime minister remains in power,” he said.

Khairy said the timing of elections could be significant, adding that Umno could gain credibility from victories in states such as Melaka and Johor if the general and state polls are held separately.

He also noted that more political figures appear to have issues with Anwar than with Zahid.

“(Opposition leader) Hamzah Zainudin says his main problem is Muhyiddin Yassin, but he still has issues with Anwar.

“(Former economy minister) Rafizi Ramli definitely has a problem with Anwar, and PAS does not believe in an Anwar-led government.

“Many more people have issues with Anwar than they do with Zahid,” he said.