Selangor or Negeri Sembilan for Khairy?

Political analysts are split over where Khairy Jamaluddin would have the most success after his sacking from Umno: Selangor, which he previously earmarked as his new political base, or Negeri Sembilan where he was the MP for Rembau for 14 years. 

Kartini Aboo Talib of Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia said Khairy should return to Negeri Sembilan to redeem his political career. 

"It would be better for him to face off with Mohamad Hasan, to fight for the seat of Rantau and become the menteri besar of Negeri Sembilan," she said, referring to the state seat currently held by the Umno deputy president. 

"He should take a lesson from the agenda behind his move to Sungai Buloh."

Khairy, the former health minister, was shifted from Rembau to Sungai Buloh in Selangor ahead of the 15th general election last year to make way for Mohamad to contest his seat instead. 

Mohamad went on to win the seat while Khairy lost the race for Sungai Buloh.

He was sacked from Umno last month alongside former Selangor Umno chief Noh Omar on grounds of breaching party discipline during the election campaign period. 

The move came as part of a purge of party leaders seen as critical of Umno president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi. 

During the campaign period, Khairy said that Umno had lost its way and needed to be "fixed". 

He also openly voiced his ambition to become the party president and one day prime minister as well. 

Oh Ei Sun of the Singapore Institute Of International Affairs said Khairy had an edge in both Selangor and Negeri Sembilan, among the urban voters in the former and due to his years of service in the latter. 

"I think that he is banking on his supposedly high personal electoral appeal, hoping that PKR will welcome him to lead the fight against the green wave in Selangor," Oh said in a reference to Islamist party PAS and its umbrella coalition Perikatan Nasional (PN). 

He added that Khairy had more charisma with which to attract voters in Selangor than either Menteri Besar Amirudin Shari or Tengku Zafrul Aziz who might be fielded by Barisan Nasional (BN). 

Khairy, who had hinted at a run in the state elections to be held in six states this year, including Selangor and Negeri Sembilan, would still need the consent of the sultan in order to hold the position of menteri besar. 

Kartini however said that voters in Selangor were already familiar with Amirudin, which she added would complicate matters for Khairy in the state. 

As for future political affiliations, Khairy had said that he wanted to join a party in line with his ideology and vision for the country. 

He said in several interviews before his sacking that he had received but rejected offers from PAS and PN.

Speaking to MalaysiaNow, Oh voiced reservations about how Khairy's ideology would align with that of PN. 

He added that urban voters would likely snub Khairy if he joined PN. 

"If he loses them, it will be hard for him to earn more religious and conservative ones unless he becomes very religious and conservative as well," he said.