KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 19 — The youth-based party Malaysian United Democratic Alliance (Muda) should not be seen as "puppets” just because of its leaders’ age as they are experienced in serving the public despite their young age, the party’s president Syed Saddiq Abdul Rahman said today.

Syed Saddiq was responding to the claims reportedly made by PAS’ president Tan Sri Abdul Hadi Awang last night regarding the opposition party Muda.

Abdul Hadi, who is due to turn 75 this year, was reported by Malaysiakini as claiming that opposition party DAP had allegedly created Muda in order to "bait” Malay youths.

Syed Saddiq, who will turn 29 this year, said he as a youth respected the views of Abdul Hadi as an individual who was very experienced in politics.

"But here, we differ in opinions. Tok Guru, Muda was formed to build a Malaysia that is developed, having dignity and having integrity.

"Its leaders, although young, have very good experience in serving, wanting to bring a new and dignified politics,” Syed Saddiq said in a brief video response posted on his Twitter account and Facebook pages.

Syed Saddiq was Malaysia’s youngest Cabinet member when appointed as youth and sports minister at the age of 25. He held this ministerial post from July 2018 to February 2020.

Syed Saddiq highlighted that he had sought to practise mature politics as a minister by looking past political affiliations in pushing for the best for Malaysia, further saying that this was the same principle that Muda wishes to push for.

"Muda wants to bring mature politics, that’s why when I served previously in the Cabinet, I fought for the right of opposition states such as Kelantan and Terengganu to receive special allocation although under the administration of the opposition.

"As youth and sports minister, for the first time in Malaysia’s history, we returned the rights of organising Sukma to Kelantan with allocations of over RM200 million although it was an opposition state. That is mature politics. Come together for Malaysia,” he said, referring to the Malaysian Games which is held once every two years and which had been hosted by all states except Kelantan.

At the time that Syed Saddiq was minister under the Pakatan Harapan administration, PAS was a federal opposition party that led and is still leading the state government in Terengganu and Kelantan.

PAS is now a ruling party at the federal level, after the Pakatan Harapan federal administration collapsed in February 2020.

Kelantan was chosen to host the 2024 Sukma games, but it subsequently deferred its role as the games host to the 2026 edition.

"In Muda, we use the same principle. Respect friends, respect rivals. Priority for our beloved country Malaysia.

"Don’t label us as puppets just because we are young. Muda is eager to learn and even more eager to serve all Malaysians regardless of race and religion,” Syed Saddiq concluded in the video clip.

Syed Saddiq and other youths had formed the political party Muda and sought to register it in September 2020, and it was officially registered by the Registrar of Societies in December 2021 after the party won a court order for its registration. Syed Saddiq had previously also stressed on Muda’s focus on serving Malaysians and said that it was not in politics to seek for power and positions.