Sunday, September 06, 2020

Syed Saddiq to quit politics


Despite scepticism over Syed Saddiq's intention to launch a youth party to contest for the upcoming 15th General Election, it created quite a buzz that over a wedding last weekend a young man was confidently claiming young voters will join in drove and support him. 

The young man must be a staunch believer as he gloated about how different, decisive, and independent young voters are in their political views and demands. 

However, that narrative is not new and not unheard off. Graduates returning from abroad 40 years ago were expounding the same civil libertarian virtues. Where there is progression in the youth thinking in the past, today's youth lacked any sense of history, continuity and consistency in their thoughts. 

Youth and new voters created the tsunami that brought the mighty BN down in May 2018, but in a year, they changed preference and gave the cue that led to the fall of PH in March. A bit more than 100 days, the sentiment and rationale seemed to have shifted. 

Young and new voters form more than 60% of voters. Syed Saddiq could make an impact should he be able to get his resources, organisation and message in place. Whether they could win any seats, it is yet to be seen, but to be a spoiler, his new party could do. 

Instead of downplaying Saddiq, Johor MB Dato Hasni Mohamed should ignore him. Hasni argued that BN could be a better voice for youth than the dedicated youth party  

Frankly, the youth party is merely a script and transitional phase for Saddiq to take sabbatical leave from politics and save himself from being charged for money laundering. Betcha he will suddenly show up with a letter of offer from Oxford University.  

Suspicious

It is suspicious for Saddiq to criticise PH with narratives used by BN last week. He criticised PH for cancelling assistance program from BN days for the people that led to their sufferings. 

In addition, he said PM7 was involved in money politics with his corporate cronies.     
 
It is a relief that the cat is finally out of the bag and it came from the overzealous youth himself. However, the manner Tun Dr Mahathir expressed his disappointment is too suspicious

Mahathir said he respected Saddiq's decision and merely questioned the viability of relying only on youth voters to win seats. He claimed to not know why the change in Saddiq, the PH-staunch supporter, who is now distancing himself from PH. 

Saddiq started changing after investigation by MACC. He withdrew from the legal challenge by the six sacked MPs against PPBM. 

This is notwithstanding the move to sack Mahathir is suspicious given Muhyiddin's respect and hope on him to lead the new government after PPBM withdrawal from PH and the Sheraton Move. 

Saddiq's withdrawal is equally suspicious given his awe of Mahathir, and despite his naive ways, was given the slack. He was literally treated like his grandson. 

Saddiq initially withdrew from being represented by Hanif Khatri together with the rest. He wanted to have his own lawyer as in JR Tey, whose a god-son of Tan Sri Vincant Tan, and then totally pull out from the lawsuit.      

Zainal Epi of MMO was more surprised by Mahathir for not angered by Saddiq's actions. It led to the suspicion Mahathir and Saddiq may have a loose arrangement. Saddiq was present at Slim River to campaign for the independent candidate supported by Mahathir's under-application Pejuang party. 

There could be the possibility Saddiq is assigned to hold the youth voters as Mahathir rehabilitate the older voters, whose turned to sceptical and generally outrightly rejected him. Saddiq reaction to Mahathir's comment remained respectful

Tan Sri Rafidah Aziz was harder in her response as she described Saddiq action as divisive

With PPBM split into red (Malay based turned multiracial) and black (now a party under Pejuang), and the number leaving the PPBM is merely the hype of Reggie Jessie's Third Force portal, carving the youth voters out will only diminish further Mahathir's political strength. 

In an interview with Utusan Malaysia, Saddiq made an appealing line that his party will move away from old fashioned politics, as in the baggage of political ego between Mahathir and Muhyiddin, and not mentioned by Saddiq, past feuds between Mahathir and Anwar together with other leaders refusing to secede to Mahathir's wishes.    

In addition to Saddiq's about turn view against PH, PPBM Youth positive response to Saddiq was interesting. Unlike UMNO and Amanah's response to invite Saddiq to their party, PPBM Youth congratulated him as though are in agreement with his ambition to revolutionise politics

Now 42-year old, Khairy took it positively as it is good competition to his grand old party, UMNO. Though not PM by 40, Khairy has not douse his desire to see new blood takeover the mantle of leadership in UMNO. He has been regularly seen on twitter and social media regularly meeting Nurul Izzah and Rafizi Ramli.    

This is a healthy public discourse on political education, but at the end of it all, the youth party has to be clear on its mission to survive the political landscape, remain relevant over time and alert on issues. 


At the moment, the youth party will only be a spoiler and disband after playing its role. 

Money laundering

Then there is also political funding. Saddiq said he is open to accept political donations from the public. This is odd. 

Only few months ago that Saddiq was caught in a controversy over political funding. The same issue as 1MDB, which he was vocal against. 

He made a police report over RM250,000 cash missing from his safe at home and that led to MACC raid on him and other members of PPBM Youth. 

It is now an open secret that Saddiq received political donation for Armada from Tan Sri Vincent Tan, who entered into a deal to take over Dego ride championed by Saddiq when he was Youth Minister. 

Instead of banking the money into party account, it went into his and PPBM Youth member safe. Saddiq could not give a sensible reason to the "lost" money from his safe and there is also money trail to his ASB account. 

It is a clear cut money laundering case and Saddiq is in hot soup. The fact that he dare to talk of political funding of his new party only leads to the suspicion he is either confident or was assured his case will be KIV-ed and there have been intervention. 

Back in mid-July, he was complimentary of MACC's treatment during his 11 hours interrogation. From the initial accusation of political persecution made by Saddiq and other Mahathir aligned exco of PPBM Youth, Saddiq tone down his aggressive response to  MACC investigation. 

That is only two months ago. After the ordeal, it is unthinkable for any mortal, more so a "budak", to hog the political limelight by starting a new youth party. 

It makes one suspect he is being protected from persecution. That could only happen by the intervention of the Prime Minister, or former Prime Minister get someone of influence to make a call to either stop or slowdown investigation, or brakes pulled up at any step towards prosecution. 

It is too early to pinpoint at anyone or any government authorities, but keep one's ear close to the ground. 

The forecasted end-game will be Saddiq youth party will be a failure and he will phase out of limelight to go abroad to study.  It is a mere ploy and transition from being a Mahathir diehard to pull to the middle before disappearing. 

How the case will survive MACC case review committee or AGC's scrutiny of Investigation Paper will be anyone's guess?
    

1 comment:

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politic is the art of democration

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