I want to focus on building a family first, says former Malaysian minister Syed Saddiq

MUAR, Johor - Malaysia’s former youth and sports minister Syed Saddiq Syed Abd Rahman announced he is shifting his focus towards starting a family following more than a decade of non-stop political work.

The Muar Member of Parliament shared his decision at the Muar Parliamentary Service Centre on July 19, reported Malay daily Sinar Harian.

“To be honest, right now I want to focus on starting my own family.

Since I entered politics around 2014, I haven’t stopped. It wasn’t just me going through it; my family went through it too,” he said.

Syed Saddiq, 33, got engaged to actress and singer Bella Astillah on March 28.

For now, Syed Saddiq assured that he will not neglect his public duties.

He pledged to serve his constituents and remain an active member of youth-oriented Malaysian United Democratic Alliance (MUDA) party until Parliament dissolves.

He noted that MUDA is currently in good hands under the elected leadership of Amira Aisya Abd Aziz.

On July 13, Malaysia’s Federal Court upheld Syed Saddiq acquittal on corruption charges, dismissing the prosecution’s final appeal.

He had been charged with embezzling and laundering RM1.12 million (S$360,000) in campaign funds belonging to his former party, Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia, allegations he maintained were politically motivated.

He was convicted by the Kuala Lumpur High Court on Nov 9, 2023, before the Court of Appeal overturned the verdict in June 2025.

Prosecutors subsequently appealed against the acquittal, leading to the Federal Court’s final ruling.

Syed Saddiq had emerged as the poster boy of Malaysia’s next generation of leaders when he won his first parliamentary seat at the age of 25 in 2018, before becoming the country’s youngest minister after his appointment to the Cabinet that same year.

He founded MUDA in 2020 following the so-called Sheraton Move, which brought down the government elected in 2018 and ushered in a period of political instability.

Citing principle and saying he did not want his case to tarnish the party’s reputation, Syed Saddiq stepped down as MUDA president after his conviction in 2023. THE STAR/ASIA NEWS NETWORK