THERE is no bad blood between Khairy Jamaluddin and Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, both of whom had battled it out for the Umno presidency, which eventually went to the latter.

Khairy said Zahid has finally spoken to him, the first time since the party polls and the walkout staged by the opposition on the first day of the Parliament sitting, which the Rembau MP did not participate in.

“He (Zahid) spoke to me just now, for the first time. The first time since the Umno elections. The first time he’s called me since the walkout,” Khairy told reporters at the Parliament lobby today.

The former Umno Youth chief was all smiles when he walked out of the Dewan Rakyat. Asked why, he said: “I am happy because the Umno president spoke to me.”

He said there was “tension” between the two after he decided to contest the Umno top post, but things are all good now.

“Obviously there was a bit of tension. I stood against him and all that.

“But other than that, he is like an older brother to me.”

Khairy said he turned down Zahid’s offers of three positions as he does not want to be tied down by Umno.

“I do not want to be tied to any party decision for now. I want to be an independent voice within Umno.

“I am still with Umno, but I want to have the freedom to express my views. It is for the good of Umno.”

The former youth and sports minister said he will continue to question the party whenever it crosses the line, and he will keep on being an effective lawmaker.

“It’s okay, I will just continue doing my work. They can’t fault my work in Parliament and in my constituency. If something is not right, I will question it.”

Khairy went up against Zahid and Tengku Razaleigh Tengku Hamzah for the Umno presidency. He came in second. – July 25, 2018.