Muda to hold first party polls ahead of schedule

PETALING JAYA: Muda will hold its first party polls later this year, though it is not scheduled to do so until 2025, says party secretary-general Amir Hadi.

The party election was being brought forward as a way to seek mandates from its members, he said.

He dispelled talk that the polls were being brought forward by one year due to unhappiness with the leadership.

Acknowledging that there had been speculation about such “unhappiness”, Amir said: “That is not something strange. In any political party, there will be some who will be unhappy with the leadership, and there will be differences of opinion.”

“But that is not the reason why we are bringing forward party polls a year earlier,” he said when contacted.

Amir explained that the plan to have the party polls brought forward by one year was not new and was decided last year.

“This is not something out of the blue,” he said, pointing out that Muda acting chief Amira Aisya Abd Aziz had announced three months ago that the party polls would take place this year so that its leadership could have a fresh mandate.

Amira’s announcement had come about after party co-founder Syed Saddiq Syed Abdul Rahman quit as Muda chief following a court verdict that found him guilty of charges of criminal breach of trust and misappropriation of funds. He is appealing the case.

Yesterday, Amir noted that Amira Aisya had stated that she did not intend to be an “acting president” for too long as it would not be healthy to do so.

“We are looking at opening all positions to be contested – from the top itself – as we do not want to be like other political parties, which do not allow top posts to be contested,” said Amir.