KUALA LUMPUR: As a Member of Parliament, Syed Saddiq Syed Abdul Rahman should uphold higher standards and set a good example to continue inspiring the youth, the High Court said.
Judge Datuk Azhar Abdul Hamid made this remark in his grounds of judgment while sentencing the Muar MP to seven years in jail and two strokes of the cane for charges of abetting criminal breach of trust (CBT), misappropriation of property, and two counts of money laundering.
The court also stressed that, as an elected representative, Syed Saddiq held the responsibility of championing the rights of his constituents in Muar, underscoring the trust the people have placed in him.
"As an MP and an idol for youth, the accused should be held to a higher standard and continue to inspire young people," said the judge, stressing the responsibility Syed Saddiq holds as a representative of Muar.
On July 22, 2021, Syed Saddiq was charged as the then Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia Armada wing chief who was entrusted with control of Armada funds, with abetting Bersatu assistant treasurer Rafiq Hakim Razali in committing CBT involving RM1 million of the organisation's funds.
He was also charged with misusing property for himself, namely RM120,000 from the Maybank Islamic Bhd account belonging to Armanda Bumi Bersatu Enterprise (ABBE), by causing Rafiq to dispose of the money.
The former youth and sports minister is facing two counts of engaging in money laundering in two transactions of RM50,000, believed to be proceeds of unlawful activities, from his Maybank Islamic Bhd account into his Amanah Saham Bumiputera account.
Azhar, in his ruling, said the actions of the accused, as Armada chief and one of the trustees of the Armada account, in instructing his subordinates to withdraw RM1 million in cash without the approval of the Bersatu Supreme Council, constituted an offence under Section 405 of the Penal Code for CBT.
"The act of keeping and distributing the withdrawn cash, without securing it in a safe place at the Armada office, also raises an inference of malicious intent (bad faith).
"The accused's action in instructing Rafiq to withdraw and transfer RM120,000 from ABBE into his personal account just a few days after the collection was made and before the election campaign began constitutes an offence under Section 403 of the Penal Code.
"Based on the overall evidence and the circumstances at the time, there is no reason for the accused to transfer the funds from ABBE's account, except to finance his election campaign.
"Any financing or payments could have been made directly through the ABBE's account without the need to transfer the funds into the accused's personal account.
"This action, in the opinion of this court, clearly demonstrates the accused's intent to misappropriate the funds for his own use," he added.
The court sentenced the Malaysian United Democratic Alliance former president to three years jail and one stroke of the cane for abetting CBT involving RM1 million of the Armada's funds.
The accused is also facing two years imprisonment and one stroke of the cane for misusing property for himself, namely RM120,000 from the Maybank Islamic Bhd account belonging to ABBE.
Syed Saddiq was also sentenced to two years in jail and a fine of RM5 million in default two years jail for each money laundering charge. The court ordered the sentence to run concurrently.
However, the court granted his application for a stay of execution pending an appeal, allowing him to delay the sentence.