KUALA LUMPUR – Muda appears to have been excluded from DAP’s annual conference today, despite the Pakatan Harapan (PH) component party stating that all unity government parties have been invited to the event.
Muda secretary-general Amir Hariri Abdul Hadi told Scoop that no representatives from the youth-based party had shown up at the event held at Putrajaya Marriott Hotel.
He also said that the party led by president Syed Saddiq Syed Abdul Rahman had not received an invitation to attend the event, which is DAP’s first annual conference since the formation of the unity government.
“Muda did not receive an invite,” he said in a text message.
There appears to be growing animosity between DAP and Muda, with DAP secretary-general Anthony Loke hitting out at Syed Saddiq during a press conference at the event.
Loke, who is also transport minister, reminded Muar MP Syed Saddiq that his win in the parliamentary seat last November was not “on his own merit” as DAP had supported him as a candidate.
Earlier today, the conference saw the novel appearance of Barisan Nasional (BN) chairman Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, who attended the event amid his contentious dismissal not amounting to an acquittal (DNAA) which saw all of his 47 graft charges being dropped.
Zahid’s appearance at the DAP event is seen as a reciprocal move after BN linchpin Umno invited its former nemesis to its annual general meeting in June.
Previously, DAP national organising secretary Steven Sim had said that leaders from all parties in the unity government are invited to attend the event, which is aimed at being a platform to discuss the direction of federal and state unity governments, among others.
Over the past week, DAP and Muda leaders traded barbs over Zahid’s DNAA, including Syed Saddiq labelling DAP as “Zahid’s lapdog” after he was chastised for issuing public statements on the issue.
Syed Saddiq’s condemnation of DAP came after the party’s vice-chairman Nga Kor Ming suggested that he should refrain from publicly airing his discontent over the discontinuation of Zahid’s trial as the grouses could have been raised internally among unity government leaders.
Nga’s rebuke came after Muda issued an ultimatum and threatened to pull its support from the unity government in response to Zahid’s DNAA.
DAP leaders have since slammed Muda for Syed Saddiq’s comment, recalling how DAP’s support for the fledgling party during previous elections had led to it securing its sole parliamentary and state seat. – September 10, 2023
