What Has KJ Been Up To Since Losing GE15?
The ‘chief’ is making waves, be it among fans or ‘haters’, with his Vida and Elrah ads.
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At the height of his political career, Khairy Jamaluddin was a federal minister.
Having risen within Umno, the former Youth chief was sacked after being a member of the party for 23 years in January 2023.
The reason given by the party was breaching party discipline during the 15th General Election (GE15) in November 2022.
Having lost in the general election, Khairy was suddenly without a seat in Parliament after being Rembau MP since 2008.
In GE15, Umno moved him to Sungai Buloh where he lost to PKR’s R. Ramanan. Since he did not contest for a state seat during the general election, the career politician found himself “jobless” after 19 November 2022.
While he was still an Umno man at the time, that too went away just a few months later when he was sacked from the party.
READ MORE: Here’s All You Need To Know About Khairy Jamaluddin
READ MORE: “I Want To Be PM One Day” Khairy Says In Sungai Buloh Campaign
But Khairy is not one to go quietly into the night, as he has been fairly active in exploring other fields since.
Billboard game unlocked?
A photo is being shared of a billboard featuring Khairy as the model for canned drinks Vida.
Doing well these days huh? 👍🏾 pic.twitter.com/sI9Qck44Mr
— f 👁️⃤ ck (@facktura) March 13, 2024
While we can’t independently verify if the billboard is legit, Khairy is promoting the drink for its Hari Raya campaign with the tagline Salam Kosong-Kosong.
Khairy’s image in the advertisement is decked in a green baju Melayu.
The ad campaign is a project in which he collaborated with Vida Malaysia to spread the message of forgiveness.
The reactions on Twitter have been colourful, with one person saying it’s now time for them to stop buying the drink.
Lepas ni aku boleh stop dah beli air Vida https://t.co/KkqHOWy4Ul
— Abah (@chairmanGLC) March 13, 2024
Safe to say as much as Khairy has collected fans, he still can’t shake the amount of critics he has acquired throughout his career as a politician.
Salah ke KJ pivot jadi influencer?
— Suraya: bestselling Bergaji & Pokai book (@surayaror) March 13, 2024
Side note Vida punya salty lychee tu memang sedap, my fav https://t.co/CIKKolW1k4
Modelling stint
Speaking of baju melayu, Khairy added another feather to his celebrity cap as he models for Elrah Exclusive in their 2024 Hari Raya campaign.
Promoting the brand’s baju melayu, Khairy appeared in the ad with actor Beto Kusyairy.
Elrah is a range of men’s wear, founded by Mohd Hilmi Che Azman or El Azman.
Radio deejay
What kickstarted his alternative career path was an offer from a radio station for Khairy to be a deejay for their morning show.
Jokingly asking if he had to get up early should he accept the job, Media Prima then confirmed that Khairy would be part of their Bekpes Hot line-up in Hot FM beginning 15 February 2023.
It seems the former Rembau MP did find radio a comfortable fit as he is still going strong on the breakfast show a year later.
Not that he was without other offers at the time, as he was also offered the job as Johor Darul Ta’zim (JDT) CEO by the football team’s owner Tunku Ismail Sultan Ibrahim.
He did accept Media Prima’s offer and went on to be known as “chief” by the other deejays.
Khairy’s hashtag is #KJJadiDJ and over the past year he has amassed his own fan base, not only appearing on the airwaves but in videos on HotFM’s social media accounts, the latest one being how to stay fit in the fasting month.
Podcast venture
Having discovered radio, it was only natural for Khairy to eventually enter the world of podcast-ing.
On 7 March last year, Khairy and former Umno man Shahril Hamdan released the first episode of their podcast called “Keluar Sekejap“.
Since then, they have stayed on course, and to date, the channel has over 279K subscribers on YouTube.
Those who have sat across them on the “hot seat” include former Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad, former Wanita Umno leader Tan Sri Rafidah Aziz and Machang MP Wan Ahmad Fayhsal Wan Ahmad Kamal.
The channel and their partners even teamed up with Media Prima Audio to organise the first ever podcast festival in February this year.
READ MORE: KJ Teams Up With Media Prima Audio In First Ever Podcast Festival
Unboxing influencers
Keluar Sekejap teamed up with Joey Mattress recently in an unboxing on the set of the podcast.
@keluarsekejap Get Your Ticket to Easy, Restful Nights with @Joey Mattress 🇲🇾 😴 With 5 years of expertise and over 42,000 satisfied customers, they’re Malaysia’s Highest-Rated Mattress Brand! Made with their exclusive J-Foam™ for zero motion transfer, perfect for light sleepers or those with partners who toss and turn all night! Compressed for easy delivery, and backed by a 99-night trial and 10-year warranty. Get yours now with code KS150 for RM150 off! #KeluarSekejap ♬ original sound – Keluar Sekejap
Acting gig
No stranger to the camera even during his days as a politician, Khairy ventured into commercials.
READ MORE: Former Minister Khairy’s Acting Skills In Commercials Gain Recognition And Praise From Netizens
In a Pak Mat Western advertisement, Khairy wore the company’s uniform and embarks on a motorcycle, selling the company’s mutton to passers-by. He also impresses as a chef, skillfully frying lamb chops and meatballs on the spot for neighbours to savour.
So there you have it, while Khairy or KJ is no longer an active politician, his schedule remains packed. From radio deejay to podcast host to acting to baju melayu model, what do you think he will try next?
Share your thoughts on TRP’s Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
