Federal Territories Umno Youth chief Razlan Rafii has proposed that Gua Musang MP Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah offer himself for the party presidency.

He has also proposed that the party's current youth wing leader Khairy Jamaluddin be allowed to take on the parliamentary opposition leader's role.

“We hope for a change in the top leadership... and, for now, we see Tengku Razaleigh as a figure whom we can put forth to head our party.

“I beg Tengku Razaleigh to consider contesting as the party president,” Razlan told the press after an Umno Youth event introducing its candidates for the upcoming party elections at Kompleks Yayasan Wangsa Perdana in Kuala Lumpur last night.

Tengku Razaleigh, or Ku Li as he is commonly known, previously said he was contemplating the decision to contest for the top post. The 81-year-old party veteran is a popular choice because he is seen to be untainted by scandals such as the 1MDB affair.

At present, Umno is being led by acting president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, who has submitted his forms to contest for the presidency.

Razlan said while he did not reject Zahid, he believed a new face at the top would fulfil party grassroots’ hope for reform.

“We do not reject Zahid as the president and we want to thank him. We will support anyone who is chosen (during the elections).

“But what’s important is we must give hope to the grassroots, and choose the person who is best able to return Umno’s struggle to glory, in order to take government one day in the future,” he said.

The sole other candidate currently vying to be Umno president is 46-year-old blogger-cum-businessperson Rahmat Azim Abdul Aziz.

KJ best suited as opposition leader

Meanwhile, Razlan said Khairy was his pick as BN’s opposition leader in Parliament.

“In Parliament, we hope for a new face as well and we hope to have Khairy as the opposition leader, with his charisma and strong debating skills.

“The opposition leader does not necessarily need to sit at the highest position in the party.

“But when (Khairy is) paired with Ku Li, I think even (Prime Minister) Dr Mahathir Mohamad will be intimidated,” he said.

Razlan himself is contesting for a spot on the Umno supreme council.

Elections for the leaders of Umno wings will be held on June 23, with the supreme council election to be held a week later on June 30.