Being a politician is difficult but being a politician at a young age can be a lot more challenging. Syed Saddiq has certainly been through a lot, especially after being accused of criminal breach of trust (CBT), misappropriation of funds and money laundering back in 2021.
Last year, it was reported that the public figure was found guilty of those charges and was sentenced to a total of 9 years of prison, a RM10 million fine and 2 strokes of the cane. While waiting for his appeal to be approved or rejected, the MUDA president thought he would take this time to tell his side of the story through a second book. This led netizens to be divided over whether or not this was the right move.
Earlier this week, Syed Saddiq took to his social media to announce that he will be releasing his book “Jalan Tegak” (Straight Path) later this year. The contents of the book document his political journey over the past few years. According to the posts, the book contains more than 300 pages which surpasses the number of pages of his first book “Becoming An Agent of Change” (106 pages) back in 2021.
“A lot has happened in my life for the past two years. I will reveal everything in this book. I have made my fair share of mistakes in life (some success stories as well) and I’d like to share them with all of you with the hopes that it teaches us a valuable lesson to grow stronger and wiser,” he said. After making the announcement, the feedback was not all that great.
As seen in the screenshots below, netizens’ reactions to the news have been mixed. Those on Instagram were genuinely excited to learn more about the 31-year-old’s journey as a political figure with some asking if the book will also be available in English. Even celebrity chef Chef Wan commented that he’s looking forward to reading the young man’s chronicles.
Reactions on Instagram:
Reactions on Twitter:
Those on Twitter, on the other hand, were mostly against him publishing a book saying that he’s too young to be releasing a memoir. Some brought up certain issues like the flood aid audit that was promised by Syed Saddiq but was never delivered. Others suggested that he should complete his prison sentence before releasing the book. On the flip side, a few defended his decision by mentioning other politicians who have written autobiographies at a young age.
From this debate, it’s clear that no one will be satisfied with any of Syed Saddiq’s decisions regardless of what they may be. Meanwhile, the Muar MP (Member of Parliament) has been granted temporary release of his passport to travel to Singapore and Taiwan for personal and official business respectively. If you’re curious to learn more about his story, you can pre-order his book through this link.
Will you be buying “Jalan Tegak”?
Sources: Instagram, Twitter, TheStar
