“But, I believe that it (Umno) has slipped into this abyss of darkness and I am not quite sure if it can ever recover from where (the position) it is in today,” former Umno Youth chief Khairy Jamaluddin told reporters after the UCSI University Future Leaders Empowerment Series - Meet and Mingle with Khairy Jamaluddin at its Kuala Lumpur campus today. - NSTP/ROHANIS SHUKRI
“But, I believe that it (Umno) has slipped into this abyss of darkness and I am not quite sure if it can ever recover from where (the position) it is in today,” former Umno Youth chief Khairy Jamaluddin told reporters after the UCSI University Future Leaders Empowerment Series - Meet and Mingle with Khairy Jamaluddin at its Kuala Lumpur campus today. - NSTP/ROHANIS SHUKRI

KUALA LUMPUR: Former Umno Youth chief Khairy Jamaluddin today claimed that its former party, Umno, has little chance to recover from the position it is in today.

Khairy said even though he has a lot of affection for Umno, the party has now slipped into a 'dark abyss'.

He said this in response to claims by experts who stated that the former Rembau member of parliament stood a higher chance of becoming the next prime minister should he wait to rejoin Umno, rather than joining Perikatan Nasional (PN).

"I do not know about that (about a higher chance of becoming a prime minister). However, I think that Umno is in a very dark place at the moment and I am not quite sure if it can recover from this.

"Of course, Umno is a party that I have a lot of affection for, I was with the party for more than 20 years.

"But, I believe that it (Umno) has slipped into this abyss of darkness and I am not quite sure if it can ever recover from where (the position) it is in today," he told reporters after the UCSI University Future Leaders Empowerment Series - Meet and Mingle with Khairy Jamaluddin at its Kuala Lumpur campus today.

At the same time, when asked whether he will retire from politics, he briefly said: "We will see."

In Jan this year, Khairy was sacked from Umno alongside Tanjong Karang Umno division chief Tan Sri Noh Omar for allegedly going against party president Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi.

Meanwhile, when asked whether he will be contesting in Selangor for state polls under a PN ticket, he shut down the matter and said it has already been addressed previously.

"I have already spoken about this."

Previously, it was reported that Khairy will not join any political party but will continue to assist PN in its election campaigns following the upcoming six state polls.

Following this, PN secretary-general Datuk Seri Hamzah Zainuddin said the door is still open for Khairy to join Bersatu.

In May, PN chairman Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin offered Khairy a position on the Bersatu supreme council.