KHAIRY Jamaluddin today took to Instagram to draw parallels between himself and PKR deputy president candidate Rafizi Ramli for taking on their respective party bigwigs. 

The former Umno presidential candidate said he and Rafizi – who took on incumbent Azmin Ali – were brave enough to shake up the traditional party leadership that dominated the political scene.

“I want to congratulate (Rafizi) for taking on the infamous cartel, which apparently promotes old school patronage and mediocre minds, and giving them a bloody nose. 

“We both tried to shake up our parties. And we are both out of the mainstream. For now,” read a caption on a photo of himself with Rafizi posted on the social media app.

The Rembau MP took on Umno president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi in party polls back in June and finished a close second. 

Khairy also said his relationship with Rafizi was a “great rivalry” which he compared with other rivalries, among them “Federer and Nadal. Professor X and Magneto. Big Mac and Whopper”. 

“We have clashed swords many times and even said pretty nasty things to each other. But there will always be a rival’s respect between us,” Khairy added. 

The former youth and sports minister said if it wasn’t for his commitment to Umno or Rafizi’s commitment to PKR president Anwar Ibrahim, they could have teamed up to form a new political party. 

“If it wasn’t for his commitment to Anwar and the reform movement, and mine towards rebuilding Umno, we could have dreamt of a new party for Malaysia. Maybe in another lifetime.” 

The picture showed him and Rafizi at a National Higher Education Fund Corporation (PTPTN) debate in 2012, as well as then moderator of the debate in the background, Maszlee Malik. 

Khairy poked fun at Maszlee, who is now education minister.

“The small fellow in between us was the moderator for our PTPTN debate. He is now the minister of education. Both debaters ended up in the wilderness.” – November 11, 2018.