Can Muda Survive Without Syed Saddiq

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"To change Malaysia is not about a person but about building institutions that will outlast the party and personality, so that the correct path remains despite whoever is in power.”
- Former Muda president Syed Saddiq Syed Abdul Rahman
Hopefully the answer to the title question is yes.
I have made it very clear that the PSM/Muda electoral pact is the only viable path to forestall a theocratic takeover of this country. The key word here is forestall.
You can argue that what is happening to young Syed Saddiq Syed Abdul Rahman - being found guilty of four charges involving criminal breach of trust (CBT), misappropriation of property, and money laundering linked to RM1.12 million of Bersatu Youth funds - is a form of political persecution and you could make a very good argument for that.
Those who argue that in questioning if the fix was in for Syed Saddiq they are in fact questioning the judiciary, are completely bonkers. Imagine if a high-profile DAP or PKR political operative was given similar treatment and how the base would react.
But Syed Saddiq is right. The cause is more important than him and in this political terrain where the progressive forces in this country are colluding with the theocratic state, the loss of Muda even as a pressure group, is something that should be of concern for those of us interested in saving Malaysia.
Syed Saddiq has always been the face of Muda and truth be told he played his part well. This does not mean that Muda was not hustling on the ground but losing a high-profile political operative in the optics game, is a possibly crippling political move.
Even more reason why I suspect that it would be easier for the theocratic forces to make their plays if there wasn’t a high-profile young liberal Malay/Muslim questioning their moves.
Muda’s place at the table
Commentator Lim Teck Ghee in his latest column listed out actions that should be taken to fight for an egalitarian Malaysia and the irony is that Muda more often than not took those actions, while the mainstream government parties were hampering such moves.
Malaysiakini columnist Mariam Mokhtar asked in her latest piece - “What is Muda to the Madani administration? It is only a minor party and that may explain why attempts by Muda to have discussions with PKR/Harapan came to naught.”
I think the problem that PKR has with Muda is that it reminds the power brokers in PKR how much Muda is reminiscent of PKR back in the day.
Muda is a multi-racial party led by a young charismatic Malay leader, who knows not only how to play the political game but also if given time would win over the urban especially non-Malay base which PKR desperately needs.
With Syed Saddiq on sabbatical – the young man knows how to play the press game, in terms of his political future – the other political personalities of Muda have to step up.
Young leaders at the helm
Muda needs to highlight issues facing young people in Malaysia but as the rise of young leaders all over the world has demonstrated, youth issues are part of larger community concerns that voters who reject old leaders want the young ones to address.
I am one of those people who would roll the dice on young leaders taking over the country but this would mean that they have to reject the established system.
More importantly, they have to also reject the morally and intellectually bankrupt political strategies that have resulted in this country going down the path of failed statehood.
While it is convenient to bring up Syed Saddiq’s mistakes it is also important to remember that he is one of the few politicians who dares tell the emperor he has no clothes on.
Syed Saddiq leaving the unity farce government when Deputy Prime Minister Ahmad Zaid Hamidi got his discharge not amounting to an acquittal over his Yayasan Akalbudi corruption case, was a big play on the part of Muda.
DPM Ahmad Zahid HamidiThis of course earned Syed Saddiq the wrath of not only high-profile political operatives in the unity government but also, the Pakatan Harapan base especially the DAP’s when he called the party lap dogs to Zahid. And really the reception Zahid received when he went to the DAP powwow kind of proves Syed Saddiq’s point.
Now of course with the Muar MP stepping down from his party post, the question is will he himself trigger a by-election in which his seat and influence come into question? It will be interesting to see if the progressive forces in this country “allow” Muda to keep his seat. Keep in mind DAP secretary-general Anthony Loke’s rejoinder to Syed Saddiq.
What this means is the leadership of Muda not only has to contend with Perikatan Nasional but also the supposedly democratic and progressive unity government.
More importantly, they have to contend with the Harapan base which claims to want a better Malaysia but in reality, only wants to replicate Umno/BN era politics and policies.
Young people, especially from the Malay community, are disenchanted with mainstream politics. They view PN as a workable alternative to the power-sharing formula which, after decades of propagandising, has taught them is to their expense.
I sincerely hope that even without electoral wins to back them up, Muda continues with political agitations that not only upset the urban base but continue attempting to spread out into the rural heartland.
Mariam wrote: “Don’t dismiss Muda because its leaders are committed to a progressive Malaysia.”
The question is, are non-Malays and progressive Malays open to the idea of Muda? So far the answer seems to be, no.
With Syed Saddiq stepping down, Muda needs to step up. - Mkini
S THAYAPARAN is Commander (Rtd) of the Royal Malaysian Navy. Fīat jūstitia ruat cælum - “Let justice be done though the heavens fall.”
The views expressed here are those of the author/contributor and do not necessarily represent the views of MMKtT.

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