KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 13 — The daughter of property tycoon father Tan Sri Lee Kim Yew, Datin Dian Lee Cheng Ling who has been appointed as a member of the Malaysian United Democratic Alliance’s (Muda) central executive committee cannot choose her father, the party’s president Syed Saddiq Abdul Rahman said.
News portal The Vibes today reported Syed Saddiq stressing that Muda has limited the amount of money each person can donate to the political party.
“Dian cannot choose who her father is. But Muda will be uncompromising in our way to move the country forward.
“We are also one of the few parties with a funding cap on every donor,” he was quoted saying last night in an event in Johor.
He was also reported saying that there would be checks and balances in relation to proposals through the diverse views in Muda.
Dian Lee as she is known, became a member of Muda on December 23 last year and is currently a CEC member of the party.
On February 10, Dian said she had been associated her whole life with her property tycoon father whenever she wanted to do something, but hoped that the public would view her as an independent person.
On February 11, Dian also wrote on Twitter that she understood the sceptism over her involvement in politics due to Malaysians having been hurt and being frustrated with the state of the country, but pointed out that she “cannot dictate who my father is” and emphasised that she has her own principles, values and beliefs.
The entrepreneur had also written on Twitter that she did not join a new opposition party for enrichment and that there is more to lose than to gain, adding that she would show Malaysians that her “heart and intentions are to build a more progressive, transparent, and inclusive Malaysia for the sake of our future and children”.
In the same report by The Vibes, Syed Saddiq said about 92 per cent of Muda members are those who are new to politics.
While Syed Saddiq said Muda members include those who were formerly leaders in other political parties, he pointed out that Muda does not accept elected representatives who jump parties.
He reportedly listed Muda vice-president Zaidel Baharuddin who was a Barisan Nasional youth secretary, and Muda Selangor chief being formerly a top leader in Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia and Muda climate change chief Afiqah Zulkifli as being a former top student leader in PAS.
“They are not elected reps but people with proven track records of service, and these are people we want to welcome in Muda,” he said.
Muda recently attracted controversy over the appointment of Nurainie Haziqah Shafii as the party’s CEC member, due to her previous roles as a PKR Srikandi head and Bersatu Srikandi executive council member.
Nurainie Haziqah had on February 12 wrote on Twitter that she accepted with an open heart the criticism made over her becoming a Muda member and CEC member, adding that she would continue her work over issues such as those linked to women, children, refugees, stateless and citizenship issues which she said were in line with Muda’s principles and ideology of promoting politics of service and virtues.
