“With this, Muda has effectively come to an end in Kluang,” Shikh said in a statement today, in response to questions about the division’s status after nearly a year of inactivity.

About 100 members were involved in the move to Umno, Berita Harian reported.

Shikh said they decided to join Umno as the party is “inclusive, open to new faces, sincere in its struggle, and willing to guide those with potential who wish to serve in the coming elections”.

He said Muda would face great difficulty contesting elections on its own, as many young voters have begun to view the party as lacking a clear stance or direction.

“It will be difficult for Muda to reverse this negative perception on its own. It may take 10 years or more, and the party will have to deal with its lack of resources and rebuild its grassroots,” he said.

Shikh also advised Muda to consider rebranding itself with a clear mission and vision focused on national economic development and education reform, and to act as a check and balance against the government to regain voter trust.