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KUALA LUMPUR – Syed Saddiq Syed Abdul Rahman’s Muda organisation has clapped back at Datuk Seri Hamzah Zainudin after the home minister took a swipe at the youth group for not being an official political party registered with the Registrar of Societies.
The yet-to-be registered party posed questions on Twitter to Hamzah on the matter, saying, “So, Muda should not be fined for organising political activities right?
“We can organise programmes in Melaka then? It’s not political machinery if we wear black Muda shirts. Like him (Hamzah), conducting ministry programmes in Melaka.”
Mengikut Menteri KDN, Hamzah Zainuddin, MUDA bukan parti politik.
— Parti MUDA (@partimuda) October 30, 2021
Jadi MUDA tak sepatutnya kena saman atas anjuran aktiviti politik kan?
Bolehlah kami buat program di Melaka kan? Pakai baju hitam MUDA bukan jentera politik.
Macam DIA lah buat prog kementerian di Melaka . pic.twitter.com/wNEi3fbwP6
Meanwhile, pro-tem vice-president Dr Thanussha Francis Xavier urged the Bersatu secretary-general to cancel the RM4,000 fine issued to Muda.
“So, we can organise any programmes we want in Melaka because we are not a political party right? Please cancel the fine that was issued. The minister’s statement is evidence.”
Jadi kami boleh buat apa-apa program yang kami nak di Melaka kerana kami bukan parti politik right?
— Dr Thanussha 🏴🇲🇾 (@DrThanussha) October 30, 2021
Please cancel saman hari tu sekali.
Kenyataan Menteri adalah bukti. https://t.co/5JgVqIEjdJ
On October 27, Muda was slapped with a RM4,000 fine for holding a press conference to announce its “debut” by contesting in the Melaka election next month.
Speaking to The Vibes, Thanussha said it is illogical for Hamzah not to acknowledge Muda as a political party, yet fine it as one.
“They can’t have it both ways. If we are truly not considered to be a legitimate political party, then what it would also mean is that we’re free to do as we please in Melaka.
“Thus, issuing us with a compound for a political event (referring to the press conference to announce Muda’s debut) is contradictory.”
On October 24, Health Minister Khairy Jamaluddin had said no physical activities related to elections are allowed between October 25 and November 27.
“The ministry predicts many assemblies and social gatherings related to the election will be held, involving many individuals engaged in mass gatherings nationwide,” Khairy said in a statement.
“Any social events that are held without compliance with SOPs (standard operating procedures) – including physical distancing, which is hard to observe – will raise the risk of spreading Covid-19.”
Khairy said due to the high risk of Covid-19 transmissions, especially with the presence of the Delta variant, such activities will increase the prevalence of the virus in the community.
Muda initially filed for registration on September 17 last year.
However, RoS – which is under the purview of the Home Ministry – rejected Muda’s initial application in January this year.
On February 4, Muda filed an appeal to Hamzah to reconsider the decision to reject the application.
Syed Saddiq and 12 others then filed Muda’s first judicial review application on April 26 to challenge RoS’ decision to reject its initial application to be registered as a political party.
On May 25, the high court granted Muda permission to initiate the judicial review.
After Hamzah rejected the appeal on August 12, Muda withdrew the first judicial review application and filed a fresh one on August 24 to challenge Hamzah and RoS’ decision.
On September 21, judge Datuk Noorin Badaruddin granted leave to initiate legal proceedings against RoS and Hamzah’s refusal to register Muda as a political party.
Pro-tem vice-president Lim Wei Jiet on October 12 said the high court fixed December 14 to hear Muda’s application to quash Hamzah’s decision to reject its appeal against the government’s refusal to register the party. – The Vibes, October 30, 2021