Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia (Bersatu) pro-tem committee member Syed Saddiq Syed Abdul Rahman may be a “little boy”, but the top debater reasons that small people are the ones who elect politicians.

“Don't be arrogant. The small people, little boys or little girls who you ridicule, are the ones who elected you and soon will be the ones to dethrone you,” Syed Saddiq said in a statement today.

He said this in response to Tourism and Culture Minister Nazri Abdul Aziz, who dismissed him as a “little boy” not worthy of a response.

Nazri said this yesterday, when asked to comment on Syed Saddiq’s call to Umno leaders to stop being hypocritical when criticising others.

“He's a little boy, I don't know him, lah. Not important. (If) you want me to comment, (he or she should) be a real politician – someone who has been elected by the people.

“If he (a real politician) talks, I will respond but anybody else is not important to me,” Nazri (photo) was reported as saying.

Responding to this, Syed Saddiq pointed out how “anybody else” are the millions of voters who got Nazri into power and that they could also strip him of that power.

Syed Saddiq also said that he preferred to be an “honest little boy” than a “corrupt old boy”.

“I prefer to be a ‘little boy’ than be complicit to mass corruption. I prefer to be a ‘little boy’ who fights for Malaysia, than an ‘old boy’ who fights for his master.”

Nazri’s response, added Syed Saddiq, has shown how arrogant and anti-youth Umno has become.

“When young people speak up, they're labelled as ‘imbeciles’ ‘small boys’ and ‘budak-budak’.

“They're praised for their blind loyalty, not for the content of their character. They're judged by seniority and not by the wisdom they hold,” he added.

And it is because of such culture that young people have been shut out from Umno.

Many so-called youth leaders are actually old and Youth and Sports Minister Khairy Jamaluddin, being the only ‘young’ minister, speaks volumes, said Syed Saddiq, as Khairy has already reached the age of 40.