KUALA LUMPUR – Muda has sacked its Perak chief Mutalib Uthman and suspended his membership for three years after he reportedly acted against the party’s directives.
In a statement today, Muda secretary-general Amir Abdul Hadi said Mutalib did not receive the party’s green light to announce his candidacy for the Tapah parliamentary seat during the recent general elections.
Amir explained that Mutalib uploaded his election poster, which carried the official Muda logo, without the party’s approval on his social media platform on October 30, 2022.
“He asked for access to Muda Perak’s social media account and changed the password, which shows his intention to sabotage the party,” Amir said.
Mutalib then stated he would only delete the post if he was promised another seat to contest, said Amir.
Mutalib was eventually fielded in Masjid Tanah, where he lost in a four-cornered fight after gaining 7,445 votes.
The Melaka seat was won by Perikatan Nasional’s (PN) Datuk Mas Ermieyati Samsudin, who won with a 4,411-vote majority.
While Muda acknowledged Mutalib’s contribution to the party since its formation, Amir said it does not absolve his recent actions.
Amir said the party has already conveyed its decision verbally to Mutalib and will consider any appeals that could be filed by him.
On October 30, Muda clarified that it was not fielding a candidate in the Tapah federal seat, shortly after Mutalib announced his candidacy for the constituency on Facebook.
Meanwhile, the party received two other resignations, namely from party Pahang chief Malani Manimaharan and Penang chief Jazz Tan, on grounds of health and commitment issues, said Amir.
He said Muda has temporarily appointed Devadas Silvaraju to head the Perak chapter, while Tineshvar Boontinathan will run the party in Penang.
The party’s Pahang chief however will be announced at a later time, said Amir. – The Vibes, December 28, 2022
