Syed Saddiq takes Muda out of unity govt, forms ‘third force’

 

Muda president Syed Saddiq Syed Abdul Rahman was unhappy with deputy prime minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi’s conditional discharge in the Yayasan Akalbudi trial.

PETALING JAYA: Muar MP and Muda president Syed Saddiq Syed Abdul Rahman has dropped out of the unity government after publicly expressing dissatisfaction with the abrupt halt of deputy prime minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi’s trial on corruption charges.

Syed Saddiq said his party, which has one seat in the Dewan Rakyat, would form a “third force” in the opposition bloc “as the voice of the rakyat” and to provide check and balance.

“The road will be long and lonely, but worth it because Malaysia will always come first,” he said today in a video clip announcing the decision.

Muda’s exit leaves the ruling coalition with 147 seats in Dewan Rakyat, one seat short of a two-thirds majority – just a day after Pakatan Harapan retained the supermajority by winning the Pulai seat in Johor in a by-election.

The Muda decision also comes on the eve of a special session of Parliament beginning tomorrow for the mid-term review of the 12th Malaysia Plan.

He said the decision to grant Zahid a conditional discharge had made it difficult for Muda to remain with the government bloc. “I will never allow Malaysia to normalise corruption,” he said, and Muda would continue to support all efforts at institutional reform.

Earlier today, a Muda division leader, who requested anonymity, had told FMT that the party would not negotiate any further and would exit the ruling coalition.

Muda secretary-general Amir Hadi had also told FMT on Tuesday that the party might consider leaving after Zahid’s discharge brought to a halt a four-year-long trial on 47 charges involving embezzlement, abuse of power and bribery.

Leaders from unity government parties, such as Umno Supreme Council member Puad Zarkashi, responded by challenging Muda to quit the unity government if it was brave enough.

Muda holds one seat in the Dewan Rakyat through Syed Saddiq, who has represented Muar since 2018, while the opposition comprises Perikatan Nasional, with 74 seats through PAS (43) and Bersatu (31).

Syed Saddiq was elected on a PH ticket while a member of Bersatu, which was then part of the coalition. He left Bersatu after it left PH, causing the fall of the PH government led by Dr Mahathir Mohamad, and set up Muda.

At the general election last November, he was re-elected as a Muda candidate by a narrow majority of 1,345 votes against challengers from Perikatan Nasional and Barisan Nasional.

Earlier this week, DAP secretary-general Loke Siew Fook, in urging Muda to make a decision on the party’s role, reminded Syed Saddiq that he was only able to retain the Muar seat because PH agreed to step aside and support him. - FMT