Azmil Tayeb said Khairy’s professional image, coupled with his experience in federal administration, including his stints as health minister and youth and sports minister, made him a strong candidate for support from urban voters.
Noting Khairy’s degree in philosophy, politics, and economics from the University of Oxford, he said this would give him an added advantage.
“These two factors could be a major draw for urban voters, especially in Selangor which has a large professional electorate,” the Universiti Sains Malaysia academic told FMT.
Khairy, also known as KJ, served as the MP for Rembau from 2008 to 2022. In the 15th general election (GE15), he contested the Sungai Buloh parliamentary seat but lost to Pakatan Harapan’s (PH) R Ramanan.
In a recent podcast, Khairy said he was inclined towards contesting an urban seat, answering speculation over where he might run after rejoining Umno last month.
Azmil said Khairy’s background as a former minister gave him an edge in Putrajaya, which was a Barisan Nasional (BN) stronghold before it fell to Perikatan Nasional (PN) in GE15.
Political scientist Wong Chin Huat of Sunway University said BN’s strategy to avoid seat clashes with PH could narrow Khairy’s options in urban constituencies.
However, he said this would not necessarily be an obstacle, as Khairy was able to attract support across party lines.
He said Khairy could contest PH- or Muda-held seats in multi-cornered contests, as his profile might appeal to a segment of the coalition’s voters.
“BN is expected to contest most seats in the peninsula, and overlaps with PH in several urban constituencies are inevitable. This actually creates opportunities for KJ.
“He stands a chance of winning in three- or four-cornered fights in seats such as Shah Alam, Sepang, and Wangsa Maju in the Klang Valley, as well as several constituencies in Johor including Muar, Pasir Gudang, and Johor Bahru,” he said.
On the possibility of Putrajaya, Wong said Khairy would not necessarily need a “free pass” from PH to win the seat.
He said PH secured only 14% of the vote in Putrajaya in GE15, while Khairy’s candidacy under BN might attract a portion of PH supporters.
“There are PKR, Amanah, and Muda seats that KJ could challenge. For example, Muar, where Muda lacks a strong grassroots machinery, or Pasir Gudang, given that PKR’s Hassan Karim is expected to retire,” he said.