KUALA LUMPUR – Almost six months after it first registered as a political party, the youth-led Muda finally had its launch last Friday.
With much optimism in the air, close to 400 members converged in Bangsar South to cheer each other up and be reminded of their political future.
“We are in this together for the long haul,” said party president Syed Saddiq Syed Abdul Rahman in a stirring speech, reminding members that joining the party is a long-term investment in “overhauling Malaysian democracy”, not a “hit-and-run” that will fizzle out after the next general election.
He also emphasised that the party’s strength lies in its ability to reach out to the masses, citing the flood relief fund last year that saw Muda raise millions of ringgit in just over a month.
“Some say this is a party of towkays, but the money came from more than 60,000 Malaysians, regardless of race and religion. That is our strength,” he said.
Off to a rocky start with PKR
This enthusiasm will likely carry Muda forward to its debut in the coming Johor polls, where the party is confirmed to be contesting six seats, following an electoral pact with Amanah and DAP.
However, the seat negotiations were not without controversy after PKR grassroots fumed over the Puteri Wangsa seat, saying they had put in effort to win it but relinquished it to Amanah seeing it was a Pakatan Harapan component party. However, tempers flared when Amanah gave Muda the seat instead.
PKR deputy information chief Manivanan Gowin claimed that the grassroots were dissatisfied with the move, and called on Syed Saddiq to return the seat to PKR if he was “in this fight honestly and sincerely”.
Muda did not concede and highlighted the electoral pact signed by the party, with Syed Saddiq adding: “Muda is a party of its own...and we will defend it (the pact).”
This appeared to contradict his speech during Muda’s launch, where the former youth and sports minister said changing the country requires “building strong bridges of collaboration and cooperation”.
While tributes to opposition parties Warisan, DAP, and Amanah drew enthusiastic applause, the response turned lacklustre when Syed Saddiq mentioned PKR, leading to him saying: “Some are uncomfortable when I name certain parties, but at the end of the day we’re in the same fight to change Malaysia.”
With the exception of PKR and Pejaung, the other parties had representatives attend the launch.
Where will the money come from?
Besides seat feuds, it remains to be seen how Muda can sustainably fund its campaigns, especially with a looming general election.
On January 29, the party announced a fundraising campaign for the polls, saying every sen will be accounted for.
Fundraising Pilihan Raya Johor 2022 MUDA sudah MULA!
— Parti MUDA (@partimuda) January 29, 2022
Setiap ringgit & sen yang dibelanjakan adalah 100% untuk memastikan MUDA menang PRN.
Rekod perbelanjaan juga terbuka untuk orang awam.
Bantu sini: https://t.co/p9A46995nk
SHARE & RT! https://t.co/ZSpjLVUlD3 pic.twitter.com/sV7kWYLnW1
It was later revealed that the campaign used a grassroots crowdfunding mechanism emulating former US president Barack Obama and Senator Bernie Sanders.
Muda co-founder Lim Wei Jiet said it was the best choice for transparency as the alternative would be to receive massive donations from wealthy elites, something he contended would risk the party being subservient to heavy-hitting donors, prohibiting it from making “pro-rakyat policies”.
However, this official aversion to the wealthy became a talking point when real estate heavyweight Datin Dian Lee announced her entry into Muda, subsequently appearing in a number of TikTok videos with the party’s leadership.
Lee is the daughter of Country Heights and The Mines Resort co-founder Tan Sri Lee Kim Yew and is behind boutique property development firm The Clearwater Group.
Critics jumped on this fact, blasting Lee for being out of touch with ordinary folk due to her wealthy background.
The censure extended to the party after Muda secretary-general Amira Aisya endorsed Lee’s involvement, telling The Vibes that she joined the party with full knowledge of its policies, including the requirement to declare assets if elected.
Lee, who is a mother of three, later defended herself, tweeting: “I cannot dictate who my father is. All I can say is I have my own principles, values, and beliefs.”
I think this scrutiny is healthy and necessary for accountability.
— Dian Lee ? (@iamdianlee) February 11, 2022
I cannot dictate who my father is.
All I can say is I have my own principles, values and beliefs.
What about political ‘frogs’?
At the launch, Muda’s central executive committee (CEC) was also announced with Lim, Lee, and a number of activists in the line-up.
However, one name that stood out was Nurainie Haziqah Shafii, who in May 2020 resigned from PKR and her role as Srikandi chief, citing a loss of faith in the direction of the party.
She later joined Bersatu and was elected a Srikandi exco member.
Her inclusion immediately drew flak, with graphic artist and activist Fahmi Reza swiftly producing an image that showed a frog resting on the Muda logo.
The critics’ primary point of contention was Muda’s stance on political “frogs”.
This issue arose prior to the Melaka election in November when Muda, initially in seat negotiations with Pakatan Harapan (PH), later distanced itself from the coalition for allowing former Umno members Datuk Seri Idris Haron and Datuk Nor Azman Hassan to run under the PH banner.
Syed Saddiq blasted PH for fielding political “frogs” and prioritising power over principles, saying “we want to carry out politics based on values and policies, not political frogs”.
Despite the brickbats, Muda appears to be doubling down on Nurainie’s inclusion in its CEC, saying its disdain is towards elected representatives who switch allegiances and betray the people’s mandate.
There are individuals in MUDA from different backgrounds and from other political parties including UMNO, Bersatu, PAS.
— Dr Thanussha ??? (@DrThanussha) February 12, 2022
MUDA remains open to everyone of all backgrounds (not elected reps) who choose to believe in MUDA and the politics that we bring to the table.
? continuation https://t.co/CgOceRDFq1
In a series of tweets, vice-president Dr Thanussha Francis Xavier said Muda members consist of individuals with backgrounds in various political parties.
“The onus is on Ainie Haziqah now to prove herself to Muda and to our members and supporters, and I challenge you to take Muda to greater heights.”
The Klang Valley floods
Notwithstanding Muda’s shortcomings, its nascency may have played to its favour as seen by the party’s swift response to the recent flood disaster.
With a dynamic organisational structure, Muda successfully mustered a comprehensive relief effort within days of the floods ravaging parts of Peninsular Malaysia.
Some 5,000 volunteers from all over the country were mobilised to assist the delivery of packed meals, care packages, mattresses, and a variety of other necessities that alleviated the burden of flood victims.
After the water had subsided, Muda purchased more than 500 waterjets and mobilised more Malaysians to assist in post-flood cleaning efforts.
At the end of December, Syed Saddiq announced that the campaign had managed to raise more than RM2 million in the span of two weeks.
The sum, collected from 42,209 donors, was also thoroughly accounted for in a subsequent presentation by the party president.
At the launch, Syed Saddiq said the figure had risen to almost RM4 million from more than 60,000 donors.
Muda is still ‘muda’
Despite being less than six months old, Muda’s impact on Malaysia’s political landscape is undeniable, exemplified by the roadblocks in the party’s registration process.
While a large part of its emergence and subsequent mobilisation was facilitated by Muda’s social media presence, it is these same platforms that place the party under a microscope and expose it to unending scrutiny and constant criticism.
As questions abound over Muda's precarious relationship with PKR, its election fundraising strategy, and the political realities of accepting “frogs”, only time will tell whether Muda will be able to weather the storms ahead of it. – The Vibes, February 14, 2022
