INTERVIEW | Bersatu Youth chief Syed Saddiq Syed Abdul Rahman said he would quit the party if any "thieves and robbers" were to be allowed to join the party.
"If any thieves and robbers joined Bersatu, I myself would leave Bersatu.
"I would not allow such a thing to happen and I think the Bersatu leadership is 100 percent in agreement to this," he said in a press interview at the Youth and Sports Ministry in Putrajaya.
The Muar MP took a similar stand to other Bersatu leaders such as its chairperson Dr Mahathir Mohamad and president Muhyiddin Yassin, in that those leaving Umno for Bersatu must be vetted first on a case-by-case basis.
Syed Saddiq, who is also the Youth and Sports Minister, stressed that among the things the former Umno MPs would have to do before they are allowed to enter Bersatu is to declare their assets and they must express their regret.
"We need to ensure that those who want to be with us are those who are trustworthy and with integrity.
"So there are a few steps (before they are allowed to join) but what is most important which I always stress on is that they must never betray the rakyat," he said.
Those attempting to join Bersatu, he said, must also not have any cases being investigated by the MACC or the police because it could cause more problems down the road.
What he is most worried about, he added, is that if they accept the culture of money politics and ‘old’ politics, Bersatu might eventually end up like Umno.
"That is what I stress: Never (will we be) Umno 2.0.
"There are very strict criteria and at the same time we want to ensure the old culture will not repeat again. This is a new way forward," he said.
At the same time, he said, the youth's role in the party must not be forgotten as Bersatu's strength comes from its youth leadership.
The youth makes up a huge percentage of Bersatu's membership, he said, pointing out that 57 percent of those in the party are youths.
"While we bring in old people, (we must) never ever forget the role of youth in Bersatu," he said.
The three-day Bersatu general assembly will kick off tomorrow at the Putrajaya International Convention Centre. - Mkini
No comments:
Post a Comment
Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.