While on his month-long training in the Askar Wataniah (Territorial Army), Khairy amused his 8,000 followers with witty snippets of his army stint, along with anecdotes about his training buddy, 19-year-old Rajah.

"There is no politics in the military, and if I can attract the other youth leaders, whether they are from Barisan Nasional, PKR, PAS or DAP, or the fence-sitters to join the Territorial Army as reserves, it will be good for the country," said the 34-year-old parliamentarian.

While he might be right in assessing the army reserves as apolitical, one wonders if his involvement in such a populist activity is not politically motivated.

This, along with his participation in the Football Association of Malaysia, Harper's Bazaar cover and memorable acting in the '15Malaysia' short films project, begs the question: what is Khairy up to?

Those following Khairy's career may notice the 'pop culture' approach the Rembau MP is taking in an attempt to reposition himself as a "centrist radical".

This is in stark contrast to when he was sidekick to keris-waving then Umno Youth Chief Hishamuddin Hussein, which Khairy later claims in the NutGraph was an anomaly.
"Why did (I) pander to (the keris-waving ultra Malay sentiments)? I think we were caught in a situation where I saw this 'bad moon rising', (although) I didn't want it personally.

"And I didn't want the leadership to be outflanked by this. So, sometimes, when you notice that you can be outflanked, you go out there yourself to make sure that no one else claims that spot," he said.

But "bad moon" episode over, the Khairy today, either on Twitter or in real life in parliamentary debates and public forums, is a self-confessed reformist.

He has even brazenly gone against the party line, as when he echoed Pakatan Rakyat's vehement objection to sports betting - a bold move against the BN old guard that played in his favour.

Khairy also appears at times to be emulating his apparent economic-ideology buddy and fellow Oxford alumnus, DAP parliamentarian and party upstart Tony Pua.

In return, Pua has openly endorsed his university-mate who was sidelined yet again for a cabinet post, adding "that (Khairy) will do a much better job than a whole bunch of deadwood in the cabinet".

Ironically, not holding a cabinet post frees Khairy to concentrate on his own 're-branding' and that of the BN Youth, piloted through the 1Malaysia rally.

And all the while, he has his finger firmly on the pulse of youth sentiments through focus group BN Youth Labs, a luxury that Pakatan Youth lacks.

Showing up Pakatan youth

To a certain extent, his efforts are paying off, if only to show up the inexperienced Pakatan Youth politicians, whom political observer Khoo Kay Peng claims to be "losing their touch".

"It is hard to be an Opposition (elected representative), and many are finding that by the time they deal with the needs of their constituents, there is no more time to pick up the pieces as a political leader," he said.

Addressing the needs of their constituents also does not leave much room for activism, leaving a vacuum of leadership in youth politics, he said, and into this vacuum comes Khairy.