First Youngest Minister Syed Saddiq Learns from Mahathir Mohamad  

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad in July 2018 made a huge change by appointing Syed Saddiq bin Syed Abdul Rahman, 25-year-old, as Youth and Sports Minister. Saddiq considered his nomination as a responsibility to fight for Malaysian youngsters.

In an interview with Tempo, Sunday, August 19, Saddiq admitted PM Mahathir set high hopes on him. Through several works with Mahathir, Saddiq said he learned a lot from the Malaysian top figure.

According to Malaysia’s youngest minister, Mahathir is disciplined, perfectionist figure and the tasks he gave should be carried out flawlessly, but if there was a mistake, Mahathir himself would correct and inform his staffers to prevent similar errors. 

Read: Meeting with Mahathir Mohamad, Jokowi Touches on TKI Protection 

“My experience in working with Prime Minister Mahathir has taught me, so when I am assigned in this position, I’m responsible to ensure the fate of Malaysian young people. PM Mahathir has high hopes but this is an honor to serve and prove that I’m able to meet his expectations,” Saddiq said.

Before sworn as a minister, Syed Saddiq was active in the youth council of Pakatan Harapan. Both Saddiq and Mahathir Mohamad hail from the same party, the Malaysian United Indigenous Party or Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia. 

SUCI SEKARWATI