Syed Saddiq Syed Abdul Rahman, the MP for Muar, was recently found guilty on corruption and money laundering charges, where he was slapped with a seven-year jail sentence, RM10 million fine, and two strokes of the cane.
The charges include abetting criminal breach of trust (CBT), misappropriation of assets, and violations under the Anti-Money Laundering Act.
But…what actually happened?
1. It all began with this…
The allegations against Syed Saddiq commenced with accusations of money laundering, where he was alleged to have transferred RM50,000 on two separate occasions from his Maybank Islamic Berhad account to his Amanah Saham Bumiputera account.
The crux of the prosecution’s case was that these transactions were part of money laundering activities.
The transactions allegedly took place at a bank in Taman Perling, Johor Baru, a detail that would become central to the case.
2. Chronology of Syed Saddiq’s corruption case
- June 16 and 19, 2018 – Money laundering
The money laundering happened hrough transactions of RM50,000 each, believed to be proceeds from unlawful activities, from his Maybank Islamic Bhd account into his Amanah Saham Bumiputera account in a bank at Jalan Persisiran Perling, Taman Perling, Johor Bahru, on June 16 and 19, 2018, respectively.
- March 6, 2020 – Misappropriation of RM1 million from Armada funds
The core of the allegations involved the misappropriation of RM1 million from Armada funds, where the offence was purportedly committed at CIMB Bank Bhd, KL Sentral, on March 6, 2020.
- June 21, 2022 – Trial Commencement
Syed Saddiq’s trial officially kicked off in June, where he faced four charges of criminal breach of trust (CBT), misappropriation of assets, and money laundering, where it involved the misusing of Angkatan Bersatu Anak Muda (Armada) funds.
- Key Witnesses and Prosecution Testimonies
Over the course of the trial, a total of 30 prosecution witnesses testified in court. Notable witnesses included Syed Saddiq’s parents, Syed Abdul Rahman Abdullah Alsagoff and Shariffah Mahani Syed Abdul Aziz, former Armada assistant treasurer Rafiq Hakim Razali, and several officers from the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC).
- March 14 – Defence Rests Its Case
The defence concluded its presentation after calling Syed Saddiq and three other witnesses – Armada information chief Ulya Aqamah Husamudin, former special officer Mohamed Amshar Aziz, and former private secretary Siti Nurul Hidayah for their testimonies.
- October 28 – High Court rules prosecution had prima facie case against Syed Saddiq
The High Court ordered Syed Saddiq to enter his defence after the prosecution successfully established a prima facie (beyond reasonable doubt) case against him.
3. Details of the charges
Syed Saddiq is accused of abetting the misappropriation of RM1 million in Armada funds at CIMB Bank Bhd, KL Sentral, and misappropriating RM120,000 from Armada Bumi Bersatu Enterprise’s account. He also faces two counts of money laundering involving transactions of RM50,000 each.
Legal Representation
The case is prosecuted by Wan Shaharudin Wan Ladin and Mohd Afif Ali, while Syed Saddiq is represented by former Communication Minister Gobind Singh Deo and Haijan Omar.
Consolidation and Transfer of Charges
Initially charged at the Kuala Lumpur and Johor Bahru sessions courts, the cases were later consolidated and transferred to the High Court for a joint trial.
4. List of the charges
The charges against Syed Saddiq are as follows:
- Money laundering linked to RM1.2 million belonging to Armada: This charge involved a significant amount of money supposedly belonging to Armada, the youth wing of the political party Bersatu.
- Criminal Breach of Trust (CBT): This involves a betrayal of trust in relation to the handling of funds.
- Misappropriation of Property: This charge dealt with the improper use of funds for purposes other than what they were intended for.
5. Prosecution and defense presentations
The trial saw over 30 witnesses being called by the prosecution, including Syed Saddiq’s parents and officials from the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC). As for the defence, they had testimonies from Syed Saddiq and three other witnesses.
6. Conviction
The charges were framed under Section 4(1)(b) of the Anti-Money Laundering and Anti-Terrorism Financing and Proceeds of Unlawful Activities Act 2001, which provides for a maximum fine of RM5 million or imprisonment of up to five years, or both, if found guilty.
7. Syed Saddiq’s sentencing phase
- Seven years in jail & RM10mil fine
Syed Saddiq was sentenced to seven years in jail and fined RM10 million after being convicted on all charges.
- Specific Penalties for Each Charge
For the CBT charge, he was sentenced to three years in prison and one cane stroke.
As for the embezzlement of assets, he was slapped with a two-year jail term and a cane stroke.
High Court judge Justice Azhar Abdul Hamid ordered that both sentences be carried out concurrently. For the money laundering charges, Syed Saddiq was sentenced to two years in jail for each charge, where it will also run concurrently along with a fine of RM5 million for each count.
- Execution of stay on sentence
However, Syed Saddiq was granted a stay on his jail sentence, fine, and whipping pending an appeal to the Court of Appeal (CoA). Nevertheless, the RM300,000 bail was still retained.
8. First MP to be caned
At 30 years old, Syed Saddiq is Malaysia’s first elected representative in Malaysia to be potentially whipped for a white-collar crime.
Read about the court’s ruling here:
