PUTRAJAYA — Hearing for Muar MP Syed Saddiq Syed Abdul Rahman’s appeal against his corruption conviction and sentence only began at 12.15pm today, with Court of Appeal Judge Datuk Ahmad Zaidi Ibrahim stating that no decision would be given on the matter today.
“Today, we will hear the plaintiff’s appeal first, followed by a recess. Tomorrow, we will continue with arguments from the prosecution,” Sinar Harian reported Ahmad Zaidi saying.
Ahmad Zaidi leads the three-member panel that comprises appellate judges Datuk Azman Abdullah and Datuk Noorin Badaruddin.
The Court of Appeal had set aside two days from today to hear his appeal against the high court’s decision in 2023 to convict and sentence him to seven years in prison, two strokes of the cane and a RM10 million fine for offences related to Bersatu Armada funds.
Syed Saddiq, 32, who was previously Armada chief before quitting the party, had arrived at the Palace of Justice at 8.30 am today accompanied by an entourage of family members and supporters from his current party, Muda.
The former Muda president said he would trust the court system to deliver him justice, and also likened his bid to overturn his conviction and sentence as a struggle for the country.
His sentence drew attention as it made him the first politician in Malaysia to be caned, which is the penalty provided for criminal breach of trust. Under Section 298 of the Criminal Procedure Code, exemptions from caning for those convicted only applies to women and males aged 50 and above. Syed Saddiq was 30 when he was sentenced.
The charges which were brought against him in 2021 accused him of criminal breach of trust involving RM1 million, misusing RM120,000, and money laundering involving two transactions of RM50,000 each. – March 19, 2025