M’sian MP Syed Saddiq vows to clear his name after corruption verdict

SINGAPORE: Malaysian Member of Parliament Syed Saddiq Syed Abdul Rahman, 30, who was found guilty by the Kuala Lumpur High Court on four charges of criminal breach of trust, misappropriation of property and money laundering, said that he would clear his name after the verdict was announced on Thursday (Nov 9).

Syed Saddiq, a member of the Malaysian United Democratic Alliance (MUDA) and an MP for Maur since 2018, was sentenced to seven years in jail, two strokes of the cane, and fined RM10 million (S$2.9 million). He is the first politician to face a caning sentence, reported the New Straits Times.

The MP, who had served as Malaysia’s Minister of Youth and Sports from 2018 to 2020 and had once been the head of the youth wing of the Bersatu party, left Bersatu in 2020 to form his own party, MUDA. In September, MUDA broke away from the coalition of Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim because of concerns over graft.

He was charged with abetting an ex-Bersatu official with misappropriating 1 million ringgit (S$289,261.62) in funds for the youth wing in March 2020. At the time, Bersatu was still in power.

In a statement after the verdict was read, the former Minister said, “Members of the press, family, and friends, as a Malaysian, as Syed Saddiq, I respect the dicision of the High Court and the High Court judge, and with that respect, comes a sense of consistency in defending the institution of justice.”

He added that he was not making a statement “in order to lambast, condemn, or disrepute the institution of justice.

In the end, I am like any other Malaysian and should be judged like any other Malaysian. And on this matter, after discussion with my esteemed colleagues and lawyers, we firmly believe that there is a strong case to be found in the Court of Appeal to clear my name. And I still insist that the best place to clear my name will be the court of law, and we look forward to filing the appeal immediately.”

He added that to “make Malaysia a great country”, it’s necessary to build strong institutions that outlast personalities and partisanship. “But in order to be that group of leaders, you have to be whiter than white. And I know the position which I’m in today, and that’s why I have personally made up my mind on what I intend to do with regard to my position as the President of MUDA.”

Syed Saddiq will be allowed to continue in his role as an MP despite the charges filed against him, and the High Court has given him a stay of execution pending his appeal. /TISG

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