Citizens' Declaration movement coordinator Khairuddin Abu Hassan has lambasted Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia's youth chief Syed Saddiq Syed Abdul Rahman's call for Bersatu vice-president Hamidah Othman to resign over her alleged role in masterminding mass resignations of members in Perak.

In a statement, Khairuddin dismissed Syed Saddiq as a mere small fry in politics and urged the latter to stop issuing such challenges to veterans like Hamidah.

"To issue such challenges is not the way to address the current turmoil in Bersatu.

"This small fry should not be too arrogant because his involvement in politics has just started," said Khairuddin who referred to Syed Saddiq's statement as reported by online portal Free Malaysia Today.

Among others, Syed Saddiq had accused Hamidah of masterminding the recent resignations from Perak Bersatu, reportedly involving some 1,000 members from eight divisions.

He also labeled the former Wanita Umno leader as a hypocrite for remaining in her current position despite being supposedly unhappy with Bersatu president Muhyiddin Yassin and party chairperson Dr Mahathir Mohamad after purportedly being overlooked for the post of state chief.

"I know she (Hamidah) is behind this. I will say it upfront: I want Hamidah to resign.

"She should stop being a coward by sending her soldiers in front and sacrificing good people for her own personal objectives," Syed Saddiq was quoted as saying.

'Know your role'

Khairuddin, who is a former Bersatu member, further said that Syed Saddiq's "arrogance" will only serve to turn more people away from the party.

"In all honesty and sincerity, I would like to advise Syed Saddiq to stop challenging Hamidah as Bersatu vice-president.

"Her political skills is much higher and has been proven, if compared to Syed Saddiq who is still so raw in the political arena," said Khairuddin.

While noting that he is now an outsider with no rights to interfere in the party's internal affairs, Khairuddin who is known as a loyal supporter of Mahathir said that all eyes are looking at how it is dealing with the current conflict.

It was reported on Friday that Bersatu Ipoh Timur division chief Azrul Suhadi Ahmad Mokhtar, Teluk Intan chief Jemaat Yaacob, along with six other division leaders, had led more than 1,000 Bersatu Perak members in handing in their resignation letters.

Responding to Azrul Suhadi's initial claims, Bersatu Perak chairperson Faizal Azumu had last Sunday denied that some members from the state's 24 divisions had urged for Muhyiddin to resign as the party's president.