KUALA LUMPUR: Syed Saddiq Syed Abdul Rahman, the president of Muda, announced on Thursday, Nov. 9, that he will immediately file an appeal in order to clear his name following the High Court’s guilty ruling.
He stated that while he respects the court’s ruling, he is resolved to pursue all possible legal options, beginning with the filing of an appeal later on Thursday.
“I’m going to clear my name through the legal system and the courts. The judiciary is the last line of defense for the people, including myself, so as a policymaker, I must have faith in it and respect the court’s ruling today,” Syed Saddiq stated.
When he was approached by media at the High Court, he said, “I’ve discussed this with my lawyers and we believe we have a good case here. Therefore we will appeal and let the justice system be the platform to clear my name.”
The media was informed by his attorney, Gobind Singh Deo, that an appeal verdict would be submitted on Thursday.
The Damansara MP stated, “We hope that after we have filed the appeal, we can get a date for proceedings soon.”
Speaking about his stance in Muda, Syed Saddiq stated he has decided on the issue but won’t make the announcement until later today at 5 p.m. after consulting with the leaders and members of his party.
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When asked if he was prepared to take criticism after the guilty conviction, Syed Saddiq replied that while it was a tough decision to accept, he would take any blows.
“The Malaysian ideal can only be realized by those who are whiter than white in terms of leadership abilities. Since I am just like everyone else in this country, I will take criticism in stride, he continued.
This comes after the Muar MP was found guilty of all counts of aiding and abetting criminal breach of trust (CBT), misuse of funds, and money laundering. The punishment included seven years in prison, a fine of RM10 million, and two canings.
Judge Azhar Abdul Hamid of the High Court, who had found Syed Saddiq guilty of all the counts against him, imposed the punishment on Thursday.
On all counts of aiding and abetting criminal breach of trust (CBT), misuse of cash, and money laundering, he had ruled Syed Saddiq guilty.
Justice Azhar Abdul declared in his ruling that the defense had not proven any of the four counts against him.
After calling Syed Saddiq and three other witnesses—Armada Information Chief Ulya Aqamah Husamudin, former special officer and private secretary Syed Saddiq, Mohamed Amshar Aziz, and Siti Nurul Hidayah, respectively—the defense concluded its case on March 14.
29 witnesses for the prosecution testified at the trial, which got underway on June 21, 2022.
They included Syed Saddiq’s mother Shariffah Mahani Syed Abdul Aziz, father Syed Abdul Rahman Abdullah Asagoff, and former assistant treasurer of Armada Rafiq Hakim Razali. They also included investigating officers from the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC), Nurul Hidayah Kamarudin, Syahmeizy Sulong, and Asbi Munip.
Syed Saddiq was defended by attorneys Gobind Singh Deo and Haijan Omar, while deputy public prosecutors Datuk Wan Shaharudin Wan Ladin and Mohd Afif Ali handled the case.
After the prosecution successfully built a prima facie case against Syed Saddiq, the High Court in this location ordered him to enter his defense on October 28 of last year.
The former minister of youth and sports was accused of encouraging Rafiq, who had been given RM1 million of Armada’s money, to steal the money and commit a felony breach of trust.
The offense was reportedly committed on March 6, 2020, at CIMB Bank Bhd, Menara CIMB KL Sentral, Jalan Stesen Sentral 2 here. Section 406 of the Penal Code was used to frame the allegation, which carries a maximum 10-year prison sentence, flogging penalties, and fines if found guilty.
On the second charge, he is charged with forcing Rafiq to dispose of RM120,000 that was improperly taken from Armada Bumi Bersatu Enterprise’s Maybank Islamic Bhd account.
Between April 8 and April 21, 2018, Syed Saddiq is accused of committing the offense at Malayan Banking Bhd, Jalan Pandan 3/6A, Taman Pandan Jaya. The charge is based on Section 403 of the Penal Code, which carries a maximum five-year jail sentence, as well as whipping and a fine upon conviction.
Additionally, he faces two counts of money laundering related to transactions from his Maybank Islamic Bhd account into his Amanah Saham Bumiputera account in a bank located at Jalan Persisiran Perling, Taman Perling, Johor Baru, on June 16 and 19, 2018. These transactions totaled RM50,000 each and are thought to have been made with proceeds from illegal activities.
The Anti-Money Laundering, Anti-Terrorism Financing and Proceeds of Unlawful Activities Act of 2001’s Section 4(1)(b) was used to construct the charges. This section carries a maximum 15-year jail sentence as well as a minimum five-time fine.
