Muda should cut ties with Syed Saddiq if he joins PN roadshow, say grassroots

 

Muda says it will talk to Syed Saddiq Syed Abdul Rahman after PN chairman Muhyiddin Yassin claimed the Muar MP is ‘ready to participate’ in its roadshow.

PETALING JAYA : A segment of Muda’s grassroots are of the view that the party should part ways with co-founder Syed Saddiq Syed Abdul Rahman should he decide to take part in Perikatan Nasional’s nationwide roadshow.

Danial Jafri, who is with Kuantan Muda, said the party has emerged as a significant third force.

He said that should Syed Saddiq, the Muar MP, decide on joining the roadshow, it would mean he was trapped in the “old ways”.

“It means he will, to a certain extent, be endorsing populist narratives that revolve around communal politics,” Danial told FMT, adding that it went against everything Muda stood for.

“If this is the case, the party should sever ties (with Syed Saddiq),” he said.

On Saturday, PN chairman Muhyiddin Yassin said the coalition agreed to hold a nationwide tour after the fasting month to highlight the issues faced by the people and what PN could do to help alleviate their plight.

He also claimed that many, including Syed Saddiq, had suggested for the opposition to organise the roadshow, adding that the former youth and sports minister was “ready to participate”.

Last night, Muda’s acting president, Amira Aisya Abd Aziz, said she and Syed Saddiq were caught off guard by Muhyiddin’s announcement. She added that the party leadership would meet with Syed Saddiq to discuss the matter.

Last week, Muda denied it would be involved in the roadshow, with secretary-general Amir Hadi saying the matter of taking part in the PN initiative had never been discussed by the party’s executive council.

Danial went on to claim that Syed Saddiq still held sway over the party’s leadership and its decision-making processes. He said it was time to curb Syed Saddiq’s influence.

Muda cannot be linked exclusively to Syed Saddiq, he said.

“Such an association must cease. As it is, our grassroots often refer to Muda as the party of friends and fans,” he said.

Another grassroots member from Kuala Lumpur Muda, who asked to remain anonymous, claimed that many felt it was time for the party to disassociate itself from Syed Saddiq.

The member said there was a need to move away from the “Syed Saddiq bubble” to show what the party was really about.

The need to do so will become more urgent if Syed Saddiq, who in November decided to temporarily step down as Muda president following his conviction on corruption charges, joins the PN roadshow, the member said. - FMT