Be wary of pitfalls as a minister, Tian Chua tells Syed Saddiq

KUALA LUMPUR: PKR vicepresident Tian Chua has called on Syed Saddiq Syed Abdul Rahman to be mindful of the pitfalls awaiting him as the new Youth and Sports Minister.

“The Youth and Sports Ministry is just like any other ministries, you need to deal with adults.

“He is dealing with a ministry that deals with youth affairs, but he must also remember that he is dealing with a very nasty and corrupted world of sports,” he said yesterday.

In this regard, he advised Syed Saddiq to avoid being naive and not to allow himself to be conned or corrupted in his role as a minister.

“He has to be very vigilant and to know how to handle matters in his capacity as minister,” Tian Chua said.

The 25yearold Syed Saddiq, the youngestever minister in the country, signifies the emergence of a free and open voice of the youth, a reformation by itself.

His appointment as Malaysia’s 18th Youth and Sports Minister paves the way for young people in the country to play a role in government administration.

Firsttime MP Syed Saddiq, a young debater with a solid education background in law and a depth of knowledge, now has on his shoulders a big responsibility in taking care of a vital ministry.

How he handles the challenges ahead will determine his sustainability as a young politician in his bid to see changes in policies and lead the youth into the direction of a new Malaysia.

Tian Chua also acknowledged that the generation gap in the new Government would certainly pose another challenge to Syed Saddiq.

“He may face some challenges to convey his opinions and thoughts to the older generation in the Cabinet. But at the sametime, the Government can benefit from his fresh ideas, youthfulness and unconventional thinking,” said Tian Chua.

He said Syed Saddiq should also absorb the ideas from the older generation in the Cabinet but at the same time maintain his idealism and find ways to transform them into reality.