Muar MP Syed Saddiq Syed Abdul Rahman has decided not to contest Muda’s inaugural party elections, citing his ongoing court case as the reason.
The former minister explained that he did not want his legal proceedings to impede the party’s progress.
Syed Saddiq said allowing his personal legal challenges, however unjust they may seem, to slow down a party built on reform would be irresponsible.
Commitment to Clean Leadership
“I founded Muda with a simple but uncompromising belief that politics must be cleaner than clean, that leadership must be whiter than white, and that Malaysia deserves institutions stronger than any individual,” he said in a statement.
This principle has not changed, he added.
“For that reason, and for that reason alone, I have decided not to contest this party election,” Syed Saddiq stated.
He noted that he stepped down as Muda president after being charged as a matter of principle.
Anyone who leads the party and aspires to lead the country must be beyond reproach, he said.
Until his name is fully and finally cleared, it would be inappropriate for him to seek any position in Muda, he added.
Background of the Party Polls and Legal Case
Muda’s long-delayed internal elections are now scheduled for March 14.
The party polls had been postponed several times since they were first announced more than a year ago.
On December 9, 2024, acting president Amira Aisya Abdul Aziz confirmed the elections would take place in the second quarter of 2025, calling them an important demonstration of Muda’s commitment to democratic values.
Muda was registered in 2021 with Syed Saddiq as its founding president.
He faced charges of abetment in criminal breach of trust and money laundering that same year.
Syed Saddiq stepped down as president following his conviction by the High Court in 2023.
In June last year, the Court of Appeal unanimously acquitted him of all charges, overturning his sentence of seven years’ jail, two strokes of the cane, and a RM10 million fine.
The prosecution has since appealed the acquittal to the Federal Court.
