KUALA LUMPUR: Umno Youth chief Khairy Jamaluddin (pic) has dismissed Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad’s praise that he was the best candidate for the party president, describing it as a backhanded compliment.

“Tun Mahathir, he is always sarcastic, so I think maybe he is poking fun at me," said Khairy when met at the Umno headquarters here on Monday (June 4).

"I think he is being sarcastic," he added.

On Sunday (June 3), Dr Mahathir had hinted that Khairy would be the best candidate contesting the party's presidency in its upcoming polls.

The Prime Minister and Pakatan Harapan chairman said Khairy was an eligible candidate for the post due to the fact that Umno was now deemed as a party in disarray and directionless in its struggle.

“I think the best candidate (for the post of) Umno president is Khairy Jamaluddin,” Dr Mahathir had told a press conference after chairing the Kedah Pakatan council meeting at Seri Mentaloon in Alor Setar.