Muda seeks to step out of Syed Saddiq’s shadow in first party polls

2026-03-14 - 01:33

Will Muda place its trust in interim president Amira Aisya Abdul Aziz (left) to move the party out of the shadow of former youth and sports minister, Syed Saddiq Syed Abdul Rahman? PETALING JAYA: Muda holds its long-delayed inaugural internal elections today in a contest that insiders say will test whether the party can move out of the shadow of its founder, Syed Saddiq Syed Abdul Rahman. Some 125 delegates are set to cast their votes, as 31 candidates vie for 25 seats on the party’s central executive committee (CEC). The winners will then allocate the top leadership posts among themselves, including the presidency. Muda uses an electoral model similar to several other political parties with CECs, including DAP. Several candidates, speaking on condition of anonymity, said there was already broad consensus among some contenders that interim president Amira Aisya Abdul Aziz should formally assume the Muda presidency if she secures a seat on the CEC. However, beyond the question of the presidency, the polls are expected to define Muda’s next phase, insiders said, with Syed Saddiq set to sit out the election. While its first elections will no doubt mark a procedural milestone, much of the attention will be on whether the party can transform from a movement closely tied to its founder into a political organisation with its own institutional leadership and identity. Some candidates said that while Syed Saddiq’s role in establishing the party was undeniable, the elections serve as a crucial opportunity to show that Muda no longer revolves around a single personality. “It’s a good thing that Syed Saddiq is not contesting. It’s about time the party moves away from his shadow and builds its own leadership,” said one candidate. Another candidate said the polls would test whether Muda can mature into a party with a broader leadership bench rather than one defined primarily by its founder. “The party has always been associated with Syed Saddiq. This election is a chance to show that Muda has many capable leaders and can stand on its own,” he said. Party insiders believe the elections will help institutionalise Muda’s internal processes, following a delay of more than a year that drew criticism from observers. The relatively small field of contestants has also led some members to describe the election as less about intense rivalry and more about establishing a functioning leadership structure. Muda was founded by Syed Saddiq in 2021 after his departure from Bersatu, and positioned as a youth-driven reform movement. In the very same year, the former youth and sports minister was charged with abetment in criminal breach of trust and money laundering. He was convicted by the High Court two years later and sentenced to seven years in prison, two strokes of the cane, and a RM10 million fine. However, in June last year, the Court of Appeal reversed that decision and acquitted him. The prosecution’s appeal to reinstate the conviction is presently pending before the Federal Court. With his legal battle ongoing, Syed Saddiq, a two-term Muar MP, announced earlier this month that he would not contest in the elections. He said it would be reckless to let his personal legal journey, “however unjust,” hold back the party’s progress, stressing that Muda’s leadership must remain “whiter than white.”