KUALA LUMPUR – Muda information chief Luqman Long has resigned as the special functions officer (strategy) to Youth and Sports Minister Hannah Yeoh effective immediately.
An aide to Yeoh told The Vibes that Luqman had submitted his resignation letter on Wednesday.
“He did not provide a reason (for quitting),” the aide said today.
A check on the ministry’s website also confirmed that Luqman’s name and contact details have been removed from the staff directory under the minister’s office.
Luqman is understood to have been appointed to the post in early December, following Yeoh’s appointment to Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim’s cabinet.
The Vibes has reached out to Luqman for comments but has yet to receive a response.
Muda secretary-general Amir Abd Hadi, when contacted, said he was not sure of the matter.
This latest development comes amid heightened tension between Muda and Pakatan Harapan (PH) following the fledgling party’s prolonged application process to join the coalition.
PH supporters have accused Muda of being insincere in wanting to be part of the coalition, going by the party’s criticism of some of the government policies, while some have said that its entry will not have any added value.
Muda members, on the other hand, are understood to be growing frustrated by the lack of progress shown by PH in accepting its application, which was filed in September last year ahead of the 15th general election.
Recently, PKR Youth chief Adam Adli had said discussions on Muda’s entry into PH have been postponed to allow the government to prioritise more pressing issues.
Muda president Syed Saddiq Syed Abdul Rahman was previously reported as saying that his party has submitted three letters to PH seeking for an update.
Meanwhile, Luqman courted controversy yesterday after he posted a tweet which appeared to take a veiled swipe at Anwar’s decision to conduct this year’s Hari Raya Aidilfitri open house in Perikatan Nasional-held Kedah, Kelantan and Terengganu.
This breaks from convention where the celebration is typically hosted in the prime minister’s official residence in Seri Perdana.
“Imagine the reaction if (former prime minister Datuk Seri) Ismail Sabri (Yaakob) organised Raya celebrations across six, seven states. You do you,” Luqman tweeted late last night. – The Vibes, April 21, 2023
