马来西亚第一的首要原则，应该是建设马来西亚国族，给予平等公民权和终结所有的种族歧视。
近期其中一个焦点，就是公众对麻坡国会议员赛沙迪发动筹募33万保释金和律师费的众筹反应。他面对著两项指控，一是指其在去年3月6日挪用土团党100万令吉；以及在2018年4月8日至21日期间，挪用土团党青年团的12万令吉大选献金。
之后，赛沙迪在本身拥有超过50万粉丝的社交媒体上，上载筹款海报，并直播一个半小时讲解事情原委，声称这是国会召开前有选择性的迫害和恐吓，他写道：“如果要斗争，我会斗争到底。来吧。”
目前看来，他在舆论场上已经取得了小胜。
如他随后在脸书上宣布筹款结束的帖子中所披露，在24小时内获得9836名捐助者，捐款总计为71万5573.77令吉，是吉隆坡地庭设定的保释金金额的两倍多。
他的感谢帖子，获得5万4000多个点赞和5000多条留言，他写道：
“我欠马来西亚一条命……谢谢你们。谢谢你们。谢谢你们。
我永远欠下这笔债。
在我们成功建设马来西亚人的马来西亚之前，我不会停止斗争。
一个每个马来西亚人都可以自豪地称之为家的马来西亚──我们的家……
就在这样的时刻，提醒我为何投入政治。
不是因为地位或金钱，而是为了建立一个进步和有尊严的马来西亚。
越是被人打压，我就越要对抗。
没有任何威胁、恐吓或利诱，会削弱我将马来西亚放在第一位的决心。”
这筹款背后的讯息和其他社交媒体上的反应——无论是正面的还是负面的——都可以多种方式解读。从社会人口特征的细分，应该可以揭示更多响应此运动的马来西亚人之动机和期望。
在没有这种细分下，粗略的分析表明，来自各年龄层、主要是非马来人和城市选区的选民，愿意原谅赛沙迪的曲折政治生涯中，曾与马哈迪和其他被公认摧毁这国家，并让国家陷入失败现状的政治领袖交往时所犯的错误。
一些支持他的评论员也指出，年轻的赛沙迪，拥有潜力，能带领更有理想主义和不那么妥协的年轻一代，取代或替代当下腐败、种族主义和极端主义的政治人物，后者被视为马来西亚政治和社会经济发展的“毒害”。
一些人则有所质疑，并认为赛沙迪——除了年轻之外——就是一位精通政治修辞的演说家，但与其他雄心勃勃的自私自利的政治人物几乎没有什么不同。少数悲观看待马来西亚政治和政治人物者，则对赛沙迪被指控腐败和失信并不感到惊讶。
赛沙迪年仅25岁时，就出任部长，成为我国最年轻的内阁部长，他能在我们这一个由老一辈主导的政治体系中非凡崛起，归功于他的妥协，以及在恩庇和身份政治丛林中的交涉能力。
他能从这次经历中学到什么？
其中一个希望是，民众的热烈支持，能鼓励他摆脱压迫性民族主义的政治枷锁，这是希望联盟无法做到的。利用这股支持力量，他应该更能公开直接反击其政治阵营中，那一些拥护极端民族主义和宗教论述者，而不是规避或转弯抹角，以毫无意义且日益破产的“为进步和有尊严的马来西亚而战”术语来反击。
这也应该鼓舞他与大马民主联合阵线的同志更努力奋斗，让这个以年轻、新面孔和多元种族为主的新政党，以及改革为中心的平台，不仅仅是马来西亚政治中的“颠覆性力量”。
赛沙迪谈到大马民主联合阵线将在下届选举走的中间路线，并概述了该党的三项原则：
其必须是一个颠覆性的启动：
其必须是多元族群的：
其必须以政策为中心：
大马民主联合阵线可要求代表该党来届大选的候选人认可，我所认为的该党最首要和重要的原则，来开启其潜在的开创性政治之旅。
这首要原则就是致力于建立一个具有平等公民身份的马来西亚国族，并拒绝一切种族歧视的形式和现象。这也意味著支持马来西亚签署联合国反种族歧视公约，即《消除一切形式种族歧视国际公约》（ICERD）。
若未能阐明并坚守这一原则，只会让人认定并指责赛沙迪和大马民主联合阵线，为导致这国家衰败和辜负了年轻一代的马来西亚政治人物和政党的长长名单里添加的一笔。
《赛沙迪和MUDA：会是改革者吗？》 （Syed Saddiq and MUDA: A Game Changer Or More of the Same? ）原文：
The first principle for Malaysia1st should be Bangsa Malaysia, equal citizenship and the end of racial discrimination in all its permutation
One of the biggest stories of this period has been the public response to a crowdfunding campaign launched by Muar MP Syed Saddiq Syed Abdul Rahman to help pay for his legal cost and RM330,000 bail.
His alleged crime : 2 charges of misappropriation of RM1 million belonging to Bersatu on March 6 last year; and misappropriating RM120,000 for the 14th general election collected for Bersatu Youth, between April 8 and 21, 2018.
Accompanying the fundraising poster in his social media channels which has more than half a million followers, alongside a one and a half hour video defence alleging selective persecution and intimidation ahead of the coming parliamentary sitting, he wrote:
“Want to fight, I fight. Bring it on.”
Support for Syed Saddiq
For now, it appears that he has won a small victory in the court of public opinion.
As disclosed in his subsequent Facebook post announcing the end of the campaign, 9,836 donors provided a total of RM715,573.77 within 24 hours or more than double the bail amount set by the Kuala Lumpur Sessions Court.
In his message of thanks which received 54K likes and over 5,000 comments he wrote:
I owe my life to Malaysia.
….
Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.
I am forever indebted.
I will never stop until we succeed to build a Malaysia for all Malaysians.
A Malaysia where every Malaysian can proudly call HOME.
Our HOME.
….
It's in moments like this, i am reminded why i joined Politics.
Not because of position or money, but to build a developed & dignified Malaysia.
The more they press, the more I will fight.
No threats. No intimidation. No offers will ever weaken my resolve to put Malaysia1st.
The messages accompanying the donations as well as other social media responses - both positive and negative - can be read in various ways. A breakdown of socio-demographic characteristics should reveal more of the motivations and expectations of Malaysians who have responded to this campaign.
Missing that analysis, a cursory reading indicates a mixed age, largely non-Malay and urban constituency that is willing to forgive Syed for his checkered political career and mistakes made in consorting with Dr. Mahathir and other leaders who many members of the public see as bringing the nation down to its knees and to the current status of a failing state. Sympathetic commentators also point to his youth and his potential in leading a more idealistic and less compromised younger generation to replace or displace the present generation of corrupt, racist and extremist politicians who are perceived as responsible for poisoning Malaysia’s politics and socio-economy..
Others are more skeptical and view him - aside from his youthfulness - as an orator skilled in political rhetoric, but really little or no different from other ambitious self-serving politicians. A few - cynical about Malaysian politicians and politics - are not surprised that he has been charged with corruption and financial malfeasance.
Can Syed Break Free
The youngest cabinet minister in the country at the age of 25, Syed Saddiq’s extraordinary rise in our political system dominated by the older generation has been due to his ability to make compromises whilst negotiating the thicket of patronage and identity politics which every political wannabe has had to contend with.
What can he take away from this experience?
One hope is that this exceptional manifestation of popular backing may encourage him to break free from the oppressive ethno-nationalist political chains that Pakatan Harapan was not able to do. Leveraging this support he should speak out directly against the extremist ethno-nationalist and religious narrative embraced by many in his political camp instead of avoiding mention or simply alluding to it in the pointless and increasingly bankrupt terminology of fighting for “a developed and dignified Malaysia”.
It should also encourage him to work harder with colleagues from Muda so that the new party with young, fresh faces and a multi-racial, reform-centered platform can become more than just “a disruptive force” in Malaysian politics (see https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Malaysian_United_Democratic_Alliance).
Syed has spoken about Muda appealing to middle Malaysia in the next election and outlined three principles of the party:
It must be a disruptive startup.
It must be multi-racial.
It must be policy-centered.
Muda can begin its potentially path breaking political journey by requiring its electoral candidates to endorse what in my opinion should be the first and most important principle of the party.
This first principle is to work for the establishment of a Bangsa Malaysia with equal citizenship and the rejection of racial discrimination in all its forms and appearances. This also means supporting Malaysia’s ratification of ICERD, the United Nations convention against racial discrimination.
Failure to articulate and live up to this principle will identify and condemn Syed Saddiq and Muda as simply another addition to the long list of inconsequential Malaysian political personalities and parties that have failed the nation and the younger generation especially.
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