KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 31 — Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia’s (PPBM) Armada chief Syed Saddiq Syed Abdul Rahman has defended his stand that his party members must dispel politics of patronage by demanding government contracts.

The Muar MP also expressed confidence that his party leaders would also support his wing’s stand on the issue.

“I can tell you that Malaysian citizens are not stupid, and on this particular issue, I am against it.

I’m very sure that the top leadership of the party will be against it as well,” he told reporters here after an event at Dataran Merdeka tonight.

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Syed Saddiq was responding to a statement by his party’s vice-president, Tan Sri Abdul Rashid Abdul Rahman yesterday, who had demanded for government contracts to be channelled to PPBM’s grassroots leaders, to boost their financial standing.

In his winding up speech at the end of PPBM’s second annual general meeting in Putrajaya, Abdul Rashid also appeared to take a veiled hit at Syed Saddiq, for criticising a delegate who had chided a PPBM minister for not giving out contracts.

The head of the Electoral Reforms Committee (ERC) also said that it was a “stupid opinion” to not use government resources to the party’s benefit.

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However, Syed Saddiq today said that the Youth wings of other Pakatan Harapan (PH) component parties, also shared his sentiment on the matter.

“Almost all youths of the component parties of Pakatan Harapan are with us.

“In the new Malaysia, we want to ensure we follow the due process.

“We take out the politics of patronage, and in the end, in order for us to move forward, we need to ensure that those who deserve, are the ones who get it,” he added.

Syed Saddiq also strongly believes that the youth leaders in PPBM can help change the mindset of his party’s elders.

On calls for Abdul Rashid to step down, Syed Saddiq said that it is up to the PH presidential council to deliberate on the former’s fate.

Earlier today, former Bersih 2.0 chair Maria Chin Abdullah had called for Abdul Rashid’s resignation as ERC chief.