MUDA: Urban-liberal party which doesn't reflect Malaysian youth, says expert

SHAH ALAM - The Malaysian United Democratic Alliance (Muda) is struggling to find its own identity and to bring liberal ideology which is against Malaysian society.

Universiti Teknologi Mara (UiTM) political analyst Dr Abdul Aziz Azizam believed that the political party led by Muar MP Syed Saddiq Syed Abdul Rahman now finds itself in a very difficult situation.

"Besides struggling to find their own clear mission and pragmatic goal, they uphold liberal ideology which is against Malaysian society.

"Syed Saddiq then used to be the brand for MUDA but now he is now actually the burden for MUDA," he stressed.

Aziz also added that this was evident due Saddiq's lack of trust and tangible selling points as a leader which reflects on MUDA wholly.

"For instance, he added that when Syed Saddiq was in office as Youth and Sports Minister, there were not many achievements that people could talk about.

"In fact, some of his controversies and liberal points of view are engraved in the minds of the people, such as on the issue of deporting Dr Zakir Naik, an Islamic preacher who has been receiving protection in Malaysia, questioning the teaching and education of Islamic religion subjects in universities, and he also recent faced four charges in court.

"These reasons are enough for the general public, especially Malay-Muslims to ignore the party," he explained.

Dr Syaza Shukri, a political analyst at the International Islamic University Malaysia (IIUM) agreed with Aziz that many Malaysians do not connect with MUDA because they see it as an urban-liberal party that does not reflect Malaysia's youth.

"In the beginning, they were popular during movement control orders (MCO) but now that MCO has ended, that kind of social movement activities are less relevant.

"Syed Saddiq is the one that people recognise also because he started his career in Bersatu. It would be difficult for them in these upcoming elections," she explained.

Syaza further explained that MUDA might demand a seat at the table but GE15 demonstrates that their influence is limited, limiting their ability to negotiate.

Meanwhile, Singapore Institute of International Affairs senior fellow Dr Oh Ei Sun viewed that MUDA found a niche mainly among the young and progressive.

"I believe that they lack the grassroots machinery that is crucial for winning elections."