SYED Saddiq Syed Abdul Rahman is confident his new youth party would be able to penetrate rural constituencies as many of its members hail from the middle- and lower-income backgrounds. 

The individuals joining the party, he said, are those from the working-class themselves and have gone through countless struggles to establish themselves in society. 

They are now willing to take an even larger risk “to serve, reform and revolutionise politics, and also disrupt the current political system for once and for all,” the former youth minister told The Malaysian Insight. 

“And to create a platform that will touch the hearts and minds of all Malaysians, especially those who are underprivileged in rural areas,” he added. 

“If, for example, rural folks feel their voices are not represented, we need to look at why,” he said. 

“So we must send a message that these are working-class people who have proven themselves and by giving them an opportunity, it can be the most amazing thing for Malaysia,” he said. 

The political platform comprises young professionals, activists, startup founders, religious preachers, and academics.

The 27-year-old said by having a disruptive force in the political arena, it would be able to show rural or poor folks that it is not a problem of policies, but the political will to do the right thing.

“In the end, when politicians conform to the interests of the rich, greedy corporate interests, same groups, and where there is no fair taxation in Malaysia, their voices are stronger, and they end up donating the most to political parties,” he said. 

“So I think in the end, it is to really tell them that it is not a problem of policies but it is really about political will and we need to change that. And for that, we need a disruptive force,” he said. 

However, Syed Saddiq firmly believes the vast majority of Malaysians are reasonable and care about core issues like jobs, cost of living, quality education and income inequality. 

He said these issues are highlighted everywhere in Malaysia, be it rural, suburban, or urban areas, and they truly capture the middle-class of Malaysia, he said. 

Syed Saddiq said some members of the soon-to-be announced party were comfortably working private sector jobs but left their comfort zones to join the platform in hopes for a better Malaysia. 

He believes that by gathering people of different backgrounds and not mainly politicians, this movement can create more people-driven policies.  

“We should be focusing on middle Malaysia – the vast majority of Malaysians who have not joined a political party, or those who have joined but are not ardent supporters who can be convinced, and these are those who feel left out, who feel that their voices are not represented enough, who feel they don’t have a place in this new Malaysia,” he said.

He said issues like income disparity among classes and races cannot be solved because it is constantly being looked at from a mono-ethnic platform.

“We’re not looking deep into this because we’re just looking from a mono-ethnic platform without actually looking from a policy platform,” he said. 

Syed Saddiq was the nation’s youngest youth and sports minister under the Pakatan Harapan government. 

He was also among the founding members of Bersatu and was the party’s youth chief until he lost his party membership for supporting the opposition.

While many had expected him to join Dr Mahathir Mohamad in the latter’s new party Pejuang, Syed Saddiq has decided to chart his own political path with the youth-based party.

However, yesterday Dr Mahathir dismissed Syed Saddiq’s plan to form a youth-based party, saying it would not be a success. 

The former Bersatu chairman said in Putrajaya the youth party will find it hard to win votes from the older generation, adding that his newly formed party, Pejuang, will end up the kingmaker in an election. 

“I do not know why he wants to form a party. I don’t think it will be a success. Youth votes are not enough to win. 

“In each constituency, there will be old people, but this is a free country. If he feels he needs to break away, we do not have a problem as long as they are also in the fight to combat corruption.

“Pejuang meanwhile is not attached to any party. In the election, we are looking to win 30 seats and we are in the position to choose which party we can cooperate with. 

“If the other party can accept our conditions, then we can work together,” said Dr Mahathir. – September 5, 2020.