Despite scepticism over Syed Saddiq's intention to launch a youth party to contest for the upcoming 15th General Election, it created quite a buzz that over a wedding last weekend a young man was confidently claiming young voters will join in drove and support him.
The young man must be a staunch believer as he gloat about how different, decisive, and independent young voters are in their political views and demands.
However, that narrative is not new and not unheard off. Graduates returning from abroad 40 years ago were expounding the same civil libertarian virtues. Where there is progression in the youth thinking in the past, today's youth lacked any sense of history, continuity and consistency in their thoughts.
Youth and new voters created the tsunami that brought the mighty BN down in May 2018, but in a year, they changed preference and gave the cue for the fall of PH in March. A bit more than 100 days, the sentiment and rationale seemed to have shifted.
Young and new voters comprise of more than 60% of voters. Syed Saddiq could make an impact should he be able to get his resources, organisation and message in place. Whether they could win any seats, it is yet to be seen, but to be a spoiler, his new party could do.
Instead of downplaying Saddiq, Johor MB Dato Hasni Mohamed should ignore him. Hasni argued that BN could be a better voice for youth than the dedicated youth party Frankly, the youth party is merely a script and transitional phase for Saddiq to take sabbatical leave from politics and save himself from being charged for money laundering.
Betcha that Saddiq will suddenly show up with a letter of offer from Oxford University.
It is suspicious for Saddiq to criticise PH with narratives used by BN last week. He criticised PH for cancelling assistance program from BN days for the people that led to their sufferings. In addition, he said PM7 was involved in money politics with his corporate cronies.
While it is a relief that the cat is finally out of the bag and it came from the overzealous youth himself, the manner Tun Dr Mahathir expressed his disappointment is too suspicious. Mahathir said he respected Saddiq's decision and merely questioned the viability of relying only on youth voters to win seats.
Mahathir said he does not know why the change in Saddiq, the PH-staunch supporter, who is now distancing himself from PH.
Saddiq started changing his attitude when he withdrew himself from the legal challenge of the six sacked MPs of PPBM. The move by PPBM to sack Mahathir remain suspicious given Muhyiddin respect and hope for him to remain in the withdrawal from PH and new government to replace PH.
Saddiq's withdrawal is more suspicious. The young man, who is known to remain in awe of Mahathir, to initially withdraw from being represented together by Hanif Khatri to have an own lawyer, JR Tey, whose a god-son of Tan Sri Vincant Tan, and then totally pull out from the lawsuit.
Zainal Epi of MMO was more surprised by Mahathir for not angered of Saddiq's action. It led him to suspect that Mahathir and Saddiq may have a loose arrangement. Saddiq was present at Slim River to campaign for the independent candidate supported by Mahathir's under-application Pejuang party.
There could be the possibility Saddiq is assigned to hold the youth voters as Mahathir rehabilitate the older voters whose turned sceptical and doubtful of him. Saddiq reaction is to remain respectful of Mahathir.
Tan Sri Rafidah Aziz was harder in her response as she described Saddiq action as divisive. With PPBM split into read and black (now a party under Pejuang) and the number leaving the party is merely the hype of Reggie Jessie's Third Force portal, carving the youth voters out will only diminish further Mahathir's political strength.
In an interview with Utusan Malaysia, Saddiq made an appealing line that his party will move away from old fashioned politics, as in the baggage of political ego between Mahathir and Muhyiddin, and not mentioned by Ssaddiq, past feuds between Mahathir and Anwar together with other leaders refusing to secede to his wishes.
In addition to Saddiq's about turn view against PH, PPBM Youth positive response to Saddiq was interesting. Unlike UMNO and Amanah's response to invite Saddiq to their party, PPBM Youth congratulated him. as though in agreement with his ambition to revolutionise politics.
Khairy took it positively as it is good competition to his grand old party, UMNO. He has been regularly seen on twitter and social media regularly meeting Nurul Izzah and Rafizi Ramli.
This is a healthy public discourse on political education, but at the end of it all, the youth party has to be clear on its mission to survive the political landscape, remain relevant over time and alert on issues.
Money laundering
Then there is also political funding. Saddiq said he is open to accept any political donation from any parties.
It is only few months ago that Saddiq was caught in controversy over political funding. The same issue of 1MDB which he was vocal against. He made a police report over RM250,000 cash lost from his safe at home and that led to MACC raid on him and other members of PPBM Youth.
It is already an open secret that Saddiq received political donation for Armada from Tan Sri Vincent Tan, who entered into a deal to take over the Dego ride championed by Saddiq when he was Youth Minister.
Instead of the money was banked into party account, it went into his and PPBM Youth member safe. Saddiq could not give a sensible reason to the "lost" money from his safe and there is a money trail to his ASB account.
It is a clear cut money laundering case and Saddiq is in hot soup. The fact that he dare to talk of political funding of his new party leads to the suspicion that his case will be KIV-ed and there have been an intervention.
Back in mid-July, he was complimentary of MACC's treatment during his 11 hours interrogation. From the initial accusation of political persecution by Saddiq and other Mahathir aligned exco of PPBM Youth, Saddiq tone down his confrontation against MACC.
That is only two months. After the ordeal, it is unthinkable for any mortal, more so a "budak", to hog the political limelight to start a new youth party. It makes one suspect he is being protected from persecution.
It could only happen by the intervention of the Prime Minister or former Prime Minister get someone to make a call to either stop or slowdown investigation or brakes pulled up at any step of the way. It is too early to pinpoint at anyone or any government authorities, but keep one's ear close to the ground.
The forecasted end-game will be Saddiq youth party will be a failure and he will phase out of limelight to go abroad to study. The change of heart at the court and youth party is a mere ploy as transition from being a Mahathir diehard to pull to the middle before disappearing.
How will the case survive the MACC case review committee or AGC's scrutiny of the Investigation Paper will be to anyone's imagination?