Muda co-founder suspended for breaching party discipline

 

Muda secretary-general Amir Abd Hadi (left) said Mutalib Uthman had used the party’s official channels despite not getting any approval.

PETALING JAYA: Muda co-founder Mutalib Uthman had his membership suspended for three years and stripped of his Perak chief post for breaching party discipline and failing to toe the line.

Muda secretary-general Amir Abd Hadi said the suspension took effect from yesterday.

Amir said the party’s disciplinary committee found that Mutalib had on Oct 30 announced on his social media and that of Perak Muda of his intention to contest in the 15th general election (GE15).

Mutalib, the committee found, had used the party’s official channels despite not getting any approval.

His action went against the party’s constitution, with regard to protecting the party’s image, the disciplinary committee said.

“He also refused to take down the poster when he was instructed to do so and said he would only take it down if the party promised to give him a seat to contest in GE15,” Amir said in a statement.

Mutalib’s statement of defence, where he argued that he had helped establish the party in order to contest the general election, could not be accepted, Amir added.

In another development, Amir said Malani Manimaharan and Jazz Tan, the Pahang Muda chief and Penang Muda chief respectively, had resigned, citing other commitments and health issues.

Amir said Devadas Silvaraju will be the caretaker chief for the Perak division, filling in for Mutalib, while Tineshvar Boontinathan will be the caretaker for the Penang division, filling in for Tan.

“The caretaker for the Pahang division will be announced soon.”

On Oct 30, Mutalib made a surprise announcement of his candidacy for Tapah in GE15. He said this decision followed a discussion with Pakatan Harapan, which had traditionally contested the seat.

Muda information chief Luqman Long denied the candidacy had been approved shortly after and reiterated that any announcement of candidates for the party would only be done by its election director, Amira Aisya.

A day later, Mutalib apologised for the premature announcement of his candidacy for the seat, adding that the seat would be contested by a PH candidate. - FMT