Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak's leadership will ruin the country for future generations, says a youth group.
The group, identifying itself as Challenger - which stands for 'Change led by the Young Generation' - cited a slew of reasons for its stand.
"We, the youth leaders of Malaysia, have lost faith in Najib and his allies, as their actions have jeopardised and will sacrifice the future of Malaysia.
"Our love for Malaysia is unparalleled. It is therefore our duty to speak up against those who seek to wreck our beloved country apart...
"We will no longer silence ourselves while our future is robbed from us," a spokesperson for Challenger, Syed Saddiq Syed Abdul Rahman, said in a statement today.
Syed Saddiq is an award-winning debater.
The statement is endorsed by former Universiti Tun Hussein Onn Malaysia student leader Abdul Hannaan Khairy, former Universiti Malaysia Pahang student leaders Abdul Naem Suhaimi and Qamarudin Mohd Fauzi and vice-president of the Australasia Debate Council Amshar Aziz.
Other signatories are a former student leader from Universiti Malaysia Terengganu, Helmi Muktar; Universiti Malaysia Perlis' Muhammad Khairudden Sulaiman; Universiti Teknikal Malaysia Melaka's Affendy Mohd Saleh, National Defence University of Malaysia's Muhammad Zulfiqar Mustapar, and former International Islamic University Malaysia law society president Fadhli Umar.
Also endorsing the statement are Asian BP Council chair Ameera Natasha Moore, student activist Azzan Aznan Abdul Rahim, Youth Advisory Council adviser Hafidzi Razali, Persatuan Pemuda Puteri Malaya Bersatu (Perimau) founder Mohd Ridhwan Othman and Malaysian Progressives in the UK (MPUK) co-founders James Chai and Mukhzani Ali.
Among the reasons they cited for their loss of faith in Najib are the alleged mismanagement of 1MDB, arbitrary actions taken against investigators probing the sovereign wealth fund, the dismissal of former attorney-general Abdul Gani Patail and the use of the Security Offences (Special Measures) Act (Sosma) against Khairuddin Abu Hassan and Matthias Chang.
Also cited were the dismissals of Najib's critics, Muhyiddin Yassin, Shafie Apdal and Mukhriz Mahathir from their positions in the government, as well as the media clampdown on The Edge , Sarawak Report , Medium.com and The Malaysian Insider .
Syed Saddiq said the 1MDB scandal, in particular, had shamed Malaysia on the global stage.
Najib has denied allegations that he misappropriated public funds for personal use, and said those making such claims against him were part of a plot to topple the government.
