Syed Saddiq's move puts older politicians to shame, says PSM

PSM, which formed an electoral pact with Muda for the recent state elections, has lauded Syed Saddiq Syed Abdul Rahman for relinquishing his post as the youth party’s chief.

“This is something rare in Malaysian politics. We should welcome this since what he has done puts older politicians to shame,” PSM deputy chairperson S Arutchelvan told Malaysiakini.

“We hope Muda and Syed Saddiq will survive this ‘slaughter’ and grow larger. Malaysian politics needs principles as well as fresh air,” he added.  

Without elaborating, Arutchelvan said “many strange things can happen when you are not in power”.

“The recent ‘unofficial hopping’ of four MPs is evident that politicians can change positions and values and yet justify such moves,” he added.

Arutchelvan was referring to the four Bersatu MPs who pledged support for Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim’s leadership citing the well-being of their respective constituents.  

This morning, the Kuala Lumpur High Court convicted Syed Saddiq, who is Muar MP, on four charges involving criminal breach of trust (CBT), misappropriation of property, and money laundering.

He was sentenced to seven years’ imprisonment, two strokes of the rotan, and slapped with an RM10 million fine.

Subsequently, Syed Saddiq announced that he would step down as Muda president and his current deputy - Amira Aisya Abdul Aziz - would be made acting president.

“When Muda was founded, it was to bring new politics, one that goes beyond parties and political personalities. (One that is) reputable and with integrity.

“In order to be president of Muda… that leader must be ‘whiter than white’, as our responsibilities are out of the ordinary.

“No one, not even myself, is bigger than the party… and the fact of the matter is that today, I don’t deserve that role anymore,” he said.

In September, Muda withdrew its support for Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim’s coalition government after Umno president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi’s corruption case came to a halt.

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