The former minister said he did not want his abetment in criminal breach of trust and money laundering case to hinder Muda from progressing.

Syed Saddiq said allowing his personal legal journey, however unjust, to hold back a party built on reform would be reckless.

“I founded Muda with a simple but uncompromising belief that politics must be cleaner than clean, that leadership must be whiter than white, and that Malaysia deserves institutions stronger than any individual,” he said, adding that this belief had not changed.

“For that reason, and for that reason alone, I have decided not to contest this party election,” he said in a statement.

Syed Saddiq said he stepped down as Muda president following his court charges as a matter of principle as anyone who leads the party and aspires to lead Malaysia must be beyond reproach.

He added that until his name is fully and finally cleared, it would be wrong for him to seek any position in Muda.

On Friday, it was reported that Muda’s long-delayed internal elections would be held on March 14. The party polls had been repeatedly postponed since plans to hold them were announced more than a year ago.

On Dec 9, 2024, acting president Amira Aisya Abdul Aziz said the polls would be held in the second quarter of 2025, describing the exercise as a key step in demonstrating the party’s commitment to democratic principles.

Muda was registered in 2021 with Syed Saddiq taking on the party presidency. He was charged that same year with abetment in criminal breach of trust and money laundering.

He stepped down as Muda president after being convicted by the High Court in 2023.

In June last year, the Court of Appeal unanimously acquitted him of all charges, quashing his sentence of seven years’ jail, two strokes of the cane and a RM10 million fine.

The prosecution later filed an appeal to the Federal Court.