Meet Khairy Jamaluddin, a Malaysian politician turned broadcaster. After an illustrious career in government serving as minister in multiple ministries, most recently leading Malaysia out of the pandemic as Minister of Health, he was expelled from his party for speaking out against its failed leadership.
Finding himself in the wilderness, Khairy turned to the power of broadcasting to stay relevant and shape the political narrative of his country. He has successfully disrupted news by co-creating and co-hosting Malaysia’s number one podcast “Keluar Sekejap” which has trended at the top of the charts within months of its launch. Khairy sets the tone of political discussion every week through his podcast and regularly interviews leaders from the Southeast Asia region on his show.
Apart from his podcast, Khairy also believes in the power of radio and the mass reach that it provides. While pitching his podcast to more serious political and current affairs discussion, Khairy also joined the breakfast show of HotFM, a Malaysian radio station. Within months of joining, HotFM has become Malaysia’s number one radio station driven by Khairy’s incisive commentary and antics on social media especially through his signature TikTok dances and skits.
Khairy believes that his public profile has improved after leaving mainstream politics and establishing himself as a broadcaster. He finds that now his former political colleagues, especially those responsible for throwing him out, frequently have to dance to the political tune that he sets through the powerful broadcasting platforms that he now utilises.
