<figure id="attachment_3013338" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-3013338" style="width: 1600px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" class="wp-image-3013338 size-full" src="https://media.freemalaysiatoday.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/c4f1a0b7-2_syed_saddiq_mp_muar_moganraj_fmt_19032025-copy-6.webp" alt="SYED SADDIQ" width="1600" height="1000" /><figcaption id="caption-attachment-3013338" class="wp-caption-text">Syed Saddiq Syed Abdul Rahman founded Muda in 2021 but stepped down as president in 2023 after being convicted of abetment in criminal breach of trust and money laundering.</figcaption></figure>
PETALING JAYA: Syed Saddiq Syed Abdul Rahman will still be the face of Muda in the 16th general election (GE16) despite the Muar MP&#8217;s decision not to contest the party&#8217;s upcoming polls, says an analyst.
Ahmad Zaharuddin Sani Ahmad Sabri of Global Asia Consulting said it would be tough for other Muda leaders to match Syed Saddiq, who embodies the party&#8217;s struggle for youth political empowerment.
Without such prominence in other leaders, Zaharuddin said Muda risked becoming a party centred around an individual, which would affect its momentum heading into GE16.
&#8220;Muda’s upcoming party elections will be crucial to put forth other young leaders who are equally capable, to prove that Muda is a collective and not just a personality-based movement,&#8221; he told FMT.
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However, due to Syed Saddiq&#8217;s personification of Muda, he said the former minister&#8217;s decision to sit out the party polls because of his court case would boost Muda&#8217;s image.
Tawfik Yaakub of Universiti Malaya disagreed, saying Muda&#8217;s prominence and support could be dealt a blow by Syed Saddiq taking a step back from its leadership.
He said Muda should bring in another political figure to remain relevant in GE16, especially since the party is not a member of a grand coalition.
&#8220;The party should also consider joining a dominant political coalition, whether Pakatan Harapan or Perikatan Nasional,&#8221; he added.
He said failure to take such steps could see Muda unable to detach from Syed Saddiq&#8217;s personality, and facing the political fate of other parties like Mukhriz Mahathir&#8217;s Pejuang and Ibrahim Ali&#8217;s Putra.
Muda’s long-delayed internal elections will be held on March 14.
However, Syed Saddiq said he would not be contesting as the prosecution&#8217;s appeal against his acquittal of corruption charges is still pending in the Federal Court.
He founded the party in 2021 after leaving Bersatu, but was charged that same year with abetment in criminal breach of trust and money laundering.
He stepped down as Muda president after being convicted in 2023. The Court of Appeal acquitted him last year but the prosecution subsequently filed an appeal to the Federal Court.

MatchPoint Times

Syed Saddiq still the face of Muda, say analysts

Analysts say it will be tough for other leaders to match his personality, while one suggests that Muda join a coalition or rope in an external figure.

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