Muar Member of Parliament Syed Saddiq Abdul Rahman, who is currently appealing a corruption conviction, has been granted temporary access to his passport. This approval, issued by the Court of Appeal, allows him to travel to Singapore for a symposium and to Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, for a personal engagement later this month.
The three-judge panel comprising Justices Datuk Che Mohd Ruzima Ghazali, Datuk Mohamed Zaini Mazlan, and Datuk Noorin Badaruddin approved the request after the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) prosecutor Muhammad Asraf Mohamed Tahir raised no objections. Syed Saddiq’s lead counsel, Datuk Hisyam Teh Poh Teik, represented him in the application, supported by lawyers Low Wei Loke and Jonas Ee.
The 32-year-old former Youth and Sports Minister is set to attend the “Youth and Civic Engagement” symposium in Singapore on January 21, followed by a close friend’s wedding in Kota Kinabalu on January 22. According to his application, Syed Saddiq plans to return to Kuala Lumpur on January 25 and will surrender his passport back to the court on January 27.
Syed Saddiq was convicted on November 9, 2023, by the Kuala Lumpur High Court on four charges, including criminal breach of trust, misappropriation of funds, and money laundering. He was sentenced to seven years in prison, fined RM10 million, and ordered to receive two strokes of the cane. He filed an appeal against the conviction on the same day, successfully securing a stay of execution pending the appeal’s outcome.
The charges against Syed Saddiq stem from his time as the leader of Armada, the youth wing of Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia (Bersatu). He was accused of abetting former Armada assistant treasurer Rafiq Hakim Razali in misappropriating RM1 million in party funds. The alleged offence occurred at CIMB Bank Bhd in Kuala Lumpur Sentral on March 6, 2020.
Additionally, Syed Saddiq was charged with misappropriating RM120,000 from Armada Bumi Bersatu Enterprise’s account and transferring RM50,000 twice from his Maybank Islamic account to his Amanah Saham Bumiputera account in 2018. These transactions were allegedly linked to unlawful activities.
The Court of Appeal has set the hearing for Syed Saddiq’s appeal for March 19 and 20, marking a crucial step in his legal battle.
The temporary passport approval demonstrates the judiciary’s balance in facilitating his civic commitments while ensuring accountability in the legal proceedings. As the appeal date approaches, Syed Saddiq’s case continues to draw public attention, highlighting the intersection of politics, law, and leadership in Malaysia.
Information Source: Malay Mail
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