Muda denies hastily rejecting unity government

SHAH ALAM - Muda has responded to claims made by DAP veteran Tan Sri Lim Kit Siang, denying that it hastily decided not to cooperate with the unity government.

In a statement, Muda President Syed Saddiq Syed Abdul Rahman said Pakatan Harapan secretary-general Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution ignored three letters from the party requesting a simple meeting.

"We were left hanging and ridiculed when the Harapan Secretary-General claimed he had no time to read our letters. This is despite his office initially agreeing to a date but canceling at the last minute," said Syed Saddiq.

The Muar MP also mentioned that he had attempted to reach out to Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim and his officers several times but received no response.

"We were not seeking luxurious GLC posts or contracts like many in the current government. We simply wanted a meeting to propose a way forward in building a truly multicultural, multireligious, moderate, and reform-oriented Malaysia. We want reforms, Tan Sri? Muda wants them too," Syed Saddiq added.

Yesterday, Lim expressed that Muda should not be too hasty and should cooperate with Anwar's unity government in the upcoming six state elections to ensure the continuity of reform efforts.

However, Syed Saddiq argued that Anwar's government needed to demonstrate sufficient reforms, which compelled Muda to take on a greater role in checks and balances.

He pointed out that GLC positions were still used as political rewards, there was no equal allocation for MPs, and the government had not implemented term limits for the prime minister.

He also highlighted the lack of separation between the prime minister's portfolio and that of the finance minister.