Syed Saddiq says he still supports Malaysia’s unity government despite his criticisms: Report
Malaysian United Democratic Alliance (MUDA) president Syed Saddiq Syed Abdul Rahman campaigns in Muar, Johor during Malaysia's 15th General Election. (Photo: Facebook/Syed Saddiq Syed Abdul Rahman)
KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysian United Democratic Alliance (MUDA) president Syed Saddiq Syed Abdul Rahman said he still supports the unity government despite his criticisms of Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim’s administration.
“There are so many things that I have consistently raised but while I have raised these, did I say I was going to withdraw support (for the unity government)? No,” Syed Saddiq was quoted as saying in a Free Malaysia Today (FMT) report on Friday (Jul 21).
“So, will I continue to do that? Yes, because I am here because of the people and I owe a duty to my constituents to speak up to ensure that Malaysia becomes a developed country.”
Defending his criticisms of the government, the Muar Member of Parliament (MP) reportedly stressed that it is an essential part of building a mature democracy.
He added that the issues he had raised were of genuine concern such as unequal constituency allocations, the centralisation of power and the extension of contracts without parliamentary approval.
“To be honest, these are constructive criticisms which come attached with policy solutions,” he reportedly said.
When asked if MUDA candidates for the upcoming state elections have been instructed to avoid speaking on any topics, Syed Saddiq said that nominees have been told not to touch on hyper-racial and religious policies or resort to character assassination.
“Focus on policies, policies, policies and policies. That should be the ultimate priority. Criticise and talk about what we can offer better,” he was quoted as saying by FMT.
Six states – Kelantan, Terengganu, Kedah, Penang, Selangor and Negeri Sembilan – will be holding their state polls concurrently on Aug 12. The by-election for the Kuala Terengganu parliamentary seat will also be held the same day.
According to FMT, Syed Saddiq said that he remains undeterred by United Malays National Organisation (UMNO) communication director Lokman Noor Adam’s criticism of him, adding that he will continue to speak up and provide feedback to the unity government.
In a Utusan Malaysia report on Wednesday, Mr Lokman claimed that the MUDA president’s remarks against Mr Anwar were borne out of disappointment that Pakatan Harapan (PH) had not allocated seats to his party in the upcoming state elections.
Mr Lokman reportedly said that it would be “more honourable” if Syed Saddiq, who seems to “act like the opposition”, leaves the unity government and charts his own course for MUDA.
Syed Saddiq had earlier criticised Mr Anwar’s claim that the ministers in his administration are not involved in corruption.
According to FMT, Syed Saddiq said that Mr Anwar’s statement created a perception that court cases involving Deputy Prime Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi and others would be dropped – an allegation which Mr Anwar has since dismissed.
On Jun 28, Syed Saddiq announced that MUDA will go solo at the upcoming state elections after efforts to form an alliance with PH were ignored. This means that it will clash with PH and Barisan Nasional (BN) despite being a part of the same unity government bloc in parliament.
Syed Saddiq said that his party leadership had sent three letters to PH asking for a “simple meeting”.
“However, not only were we left hanging, but we were even ridiculed when the Secretary-General of Pakatan Harapan responded by saying that he had no time to read our letters,” he said in a Facebook post.
“This was despite the fact that his office initially agreed to a date beforehand but canceled once again at the last minute.”
MUDA had applied to join PH before the 15th General Election (GE15) last November, but there has been little progress. MUDA and PH had also agreed on an electoral pact for GE15.
The state polls are keenly watched as it will be the first major elections held since November 2022 when Mr Anwar – who leads PH – was appointed prime minister. Mr Anwar currently leads the unity government, which includes PH, BN, Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS) and Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS).
