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FORMER Muda president Syed Saddiq Syed Abdul Rahman will not be contesting in the party’s 2026 internal elections, effectively removing himself from contention for the organisation’s top leadership positions.
Muda election director Muhammad Zaim Zulkafli explained that the party’s electoral system this year does not allow for direct contests for roles such as president or deputy president.
Instead, the party’s leadership will be determined internally by the newly elected Central Executive Committee (CEC).
“To clarify, in Muda's 2026 party elections, no specific leadership posts are being contested directly. All qualified candidates will stand for election to the 25 CEC seats.
“During polling, delegates will vote for up to 25 candidates, and the 25 who receive the highest number of votes will form the new CEC,” Zaim told the New Straits Times.
Once elected, the 25-member CEC will convene to assign the party’s top offices, including president, deputy president, vice-presidents, and other key roles, in accordance with Muda’s constitution.
“This structure ensures that the entire CEC first receives a direct mandate from delegates before leadership roles are assigned internally,” he said.
The committee is scheduled to meet immediately after the election results are announced on March 14 to finalise the leadership line-up, with the party’s key office-bearers selected from among the newly elected CEC members.
Regarding Syed Saddiq’s participation, Zaim said the Muar member of parliament would be issuing a personal statement later today.
The party’s central election committee confirmed that 31 candidates had been validated to contest in the elections following the close of nominations at 9pm yesterday. Muda acting president Amira Aisya Abd Aziz was among those confirmed, while Syed Saddiq’s name did not appear on the list.
“All nomination forms were verified, including membership eligibility, proposers and seconders, as well as supporting documentation and payment,” the committee said.
The official campaign period runs from today until 11.59pm on March 13, during which candidates must adhere to all campaign regulations and ethical guidelines set by the party. - February 28, 2026