In a video Khairy posted on Instagram, Zahid was seen greeting delegates and shaking their hands at the general assembly today.

When he approached Khairy, Zahid gave the former Rembau MP a firm handshake and declared “Ready to fight!”.

“This means he is ready to face any challengers… and the president is brave,” said Khairy on Instagram.

“I salute him.”

“This means that if there are any efforts to kill off democracy in Umno, this goes against the president himself.

“Let’s be brave. Let democracy thrive in Umno and let all positions be contested.”

Umno’s party elections have to be held by May 19.

The Umno Supreme Council has yet to decide whether the two top posts should be contested in the party elections, which must be held within six months of the conclusion of the general election.

Both Zahid and Khairy contested for the president’s post at the last party elections in 2018, with Zahid taking 99 votes to Khairy’s 61 votes. Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah received 30 votes.

On Tuesday, Khairy acknowledged there were fears that a change in Umno’s leadership could lead to the party withdrawing support for Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, resulting in political instability.

However, he said Umno will continue supporting the Anwar-led unity government “if I or my allies” become party president.

The Umno general assembly is being held until Saturday at the party’s headquarters at the World Trade Centre Kuala Lumpur.

There have been numerous calls for the president and deputy president’s posts not to be contested in the party election, including a group of division leaders claiming to represent 140 divisions.

Umno deputy president Mohamad Hasan and Wanita Umno chief Noraini Ahmad have added to these calls, with the former warning opening up the top two posts to challengers may cause a rift within the party.

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