“We respect their choice to part ways. That’s what democracy is about,” he told FMT after announcing the first batch of Muda candidates for the Selangor state polls.

The Muar MP was asked to comment on an FMT report that some Muda members were unsure how to leave the party as they were allegedly being kept in the dark over the party’s direction and contents of its constitution.

A party member who spoke on condition of anonymity said there was no proper channel available for members to hand in a request to leave the party.

The party was also criticised on social media about its handling of membership cancellation requests.

Muda secretary-general Amir Hadi acknowledged delays in dealing with membership termination requests, attributing it to the need to process them manually.

Syed Saddiq said today that those who wanted to leave the party needed only to send an email stating their intention.

“Like many other parties where you write to them (via email), it’s the same process.”