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Was Muar MP Syed Saddiq ‘politically persecuted and prosecuted’?
KUALA LUMPUR, June 26, 2025: When then Muda president and Muar MP Syed Saddiq Syed Abdul Rahman was jailed a total of seven years, ordered to be whipped two times and fined RM10 million on graft-related charges, Malaysians were shocked to the core.
Many had viewed the case as “political persecution and prosecution” and the punishment excessive in November 2023.
Yesterday, all three judges who sat in the Court of Appeal freed Syed Saddiq of all charges.
And, they gave a damning judgment on the Attorney-General’s Chambers (AGC) and the High Court Judge who convicted Syed Saddiq.
So, was the MP “politically persecuted and prosecuted”?
If such a case can happen to an MP, what about the man in the street?
No News Is Bad News reproduces below a damning article that is being circulated in social media:
"Damning judgment by the Appeals Court judges on the AGC and High Court judge"
(Datuk Omar Mustapha @omarmu: 25 June 2025)
The Court of Appeal has acquitted @SyedSaddiq of all corruption and money laundering charges — but this was no ordinary acquittal.
The judges ruled that there was no prima facie case to begin with. In criminal law, that means the prosecution failed at the most basic level: there wasn’t even enough credible evidence to justify putting him on defence. That’s a rare and serious finding. It means the entire case should have collapsed at the prosecution stage. And yet, Syed Saddiq was not only tried — he was convicted, sentenced to seven years in prison, fined RM10 million, and nearly subjected to whipping. All on a case that should never have made it past the halfway mark.
The appellate court’s language was sharp, by judicial standards. The trial judge misdirected himself. Key prosecution witnesses were unreliable or contradictory. Crucial elements like dishonest intent were never made out. Three judges, one voice, no dissent. This wasn’t a close call. It was a quiet but total repudiation of both the prosecution’s case and the High Court’s reasoning. And it sends an institutional signal: the safeguards built into our legal system must be respected. A defence cannot be compelled without evidence that actually meets the legal threshold. The right to be presumed innocent is not just a constitutional formality — it must carry real weight. It also raises tough questions. How did a case that failed to meet even the prima facie standard result in a full-blown conviction? What does that say about prosecutorial discretion, evidentiary standards, and trial-level vigilance? If this could happen to a high-profile MP, what of the countless others with less visibility or legal firepower? The AGC must now decide whether to appeal to the Federal Court. But the question is no longer just legal — it’s institutional. The Court of Appeal has ruled clearly and unanimously. To push further would not just be to challenge one man’s acquittal, but to openly contradict a judiciary that has called out deep flaws in how the case was prosecuted and adjudicated.
The AGC’s next move will speak volumes. Whether it appeals or not to Malaysia’s apex Federal Court judges will reveal more than legal strategy — it will show the mindset of our chief prosecutor. Either way, the next move will tell us something fundamental: whether the AGC sees itself as an adversary of the bench, or as a partner in the administration of justice. After all, the charges began with them. Now, the credibility test ends with them. The ball is firmly back in @AGCPutrajaya.
(Last edited11:46 AM · Jun 25, 2025)
Tuesday, 24 June 2025
Muda’s Syed Saddiq freed but prosecution may appeal
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No News Is Bad News
Muda’s Syed Saddiq freed but prosecution may appeal
KUALA LUMPUR, June 25, 2025: The Federal Court today freed Muda founder and Muar MP Syed Saddiq Syed Abdul Rahman corruption and money laundering charges.
In allowing the former youth and sports minister’s appeal, Justice Noorin Badaruddin said the appellant should have been acquitted without his defence being called during the trial (in High Court).
Reading her judgment before a packed courtroom, she said the prosecution had failed to prove the ingredients of the predicate charges of abetting in criminal breach of trust (CBT) and dishonest misappropriation.
All three Judges made the decision.
However, Syed Saddiq’s legal woes are not over yet as Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) chief Azam Baki said the prosecution was expected to appeal against the Federal Court decision.
No News Is Bad News reproduces below news reports on the court proceeding and Syed Saddiq’s political woes:
Prosecution expected to appeal Syed Saddiq’s acquittal, says Azam
This is despite deputy public prosecutor Wan Shaharuddin Wan Ladin earlier saying that the prosecution would study the appeals court’s judgment before making a decision.
MACC chief commissioner Azam Baki at a press conference during which he was asked to comment on the outcome of Muar MP Syed Saddiq Syed Abdul Rahman’s appeal.
PUTRAJAYA: The prosecution is expected to appeal Muar MP Syed Saddiq Syed Abdul Rahman’s acquittal of his corruption and money laundering charges, according to Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) chief Azam Baki.
Azam was asked to comment on the Court of Appeal’s unanimous decision in favour of the former youth and sports minister earlier today.
“This is a court decision. I was informed by the prosecution that they will appeal to the Federal Court,” he told a press conference at the anti-graft agency’s headquarters here.
Deputy public prosecutor Wan Shaharuddin Wan Ladin earlier said that the prosecution would study the Court of Appeal’s judgment before deciding on its next step.
He said the prosecution could appeal to the Federal Court as the trial began in the High Court.
In allowing Syed Saddiq’s appeal this morning, Justice Noorin Badaruddin said he should have been acquitted without his defence being called during trial.
She said the prosecution had failed to prove the ingredients of the predicate charges of abetting in criminal breach of trust (CBT) and dishonest misappropriation.
Noorin also said the trial judge failed to appreciate Syed Saddiq’s defence and had treated it as a bare denial and afterthought.
Justices Ahmad Zaidi Ibrahim and Azman Abdullah also heard the appeal.
Syed Saddiq was found guilty in November 2023 of abetting in CBT involving more than RM1 million belonging to Bersatu Youth, and another count of dishonestly misappropriating property totalling more than RM120,000, also belonging to the wing.
The former Bersatu Youth chief was likewise convicted on two counts of money laundering for transferring a total of RM100,000 to his personal account from a company linked to the youth wing, Armada Bumi Bersatu Enterprise.
He was sentenced to three years’ jail and one stroke of the rotan on the CBT charge, two years and another stroke of the cane on the misappropriation charge, and another two-year jail term for each of the money laundering offences.
The Muda founder was also fined RM10 million.
Muda to discuss Syed Saddiq’s presidency after acquittal
Muda acting president Amira Aisya Abdul Aziz says the court’s decision proves that the Muar MP is an honest man.
Muar MP Syed Saddiq Syed Abdul Rahman stepped down from the Muda presidency in 2023.
PUTRAJAYA: Muda will discuss Syed Saddiq Syed Abdul Rahman’s position in the party after the Muar MP was acquitted of corruption and money laundering charges this morning.
The party’s acting president Amira Aisya Abdul Aziz said the party would hold a meeting later today.
“We will deliberate on the matter tonight,” she told reporters outside the Court of Appeal here.
Yesterday, Amira told FMT that Syed Saddiq’s future in Muda would depend on the outcome of his appeal against his conviction.
She said while Syed Saddiq had not held the party’s presidency since 2023, he remains a key figure in Muda due to his role as its founder and sole representative in Parliament.
Syed Saddiq was convicted by the Kuala Lumpur High Court of abetting in criminal breach of trust (CBT), misappropriation of assets, and money laundering in November 2023.
The former youth and sports minister was sentenced to seven years’ jail, fined RM10 million, and ordered to be given two strokes of the rotan. The sentence was stayed pending his appeal.
He later announced that he would temporarily step down as Muda president, adding that he would not be involved in the party’s decision-making processes.
Earlier this morning, the Court of Appeal ruled that Syed Saddiq should have been acquitted without his defence being called during the trial.
Justice Noorin Badaruddin said the prosecution had failed to prove the ingredients of the predicate charges of abetting in CBT and dishonest misappropriation.
Amira said she was happy with the court’s decision, and that it proved Syed Saddiq’s honesty.
Syed Saddiq meanwhile said that any decision on whether he reclaims the Muda presidency would be “made together”.
Syed Saddiq freed of graft, money laundering charges
Court of Appeal rules that there was a serious misdirection by the trial judge which warranted appellate intervention.
Muar MP Syed Saddiq Syed Abdul Rahman ahead of his acquittal by the Court of Appeal today.
PUTRAJAYA: The Court of Appeal has unanimously acquitted Muar MP Syed Saddiq Syed Abdul Rahman of his corruption and money laundering charges.
In allowing the former youth and sports minister’s appeal, Justice Noorin Badaruddin said the appellant should have been acquitted without his defence being called during the trial.
Reading her judgment before a packed courtroom, she said the prosecution had failed to prove the ingredients of the predicate charges of abetting in criminal breach of trust (CBT) and dishonest misappropriation.
Noorin also said that the trial judge failed to appreciate Syed Saddiq’s defence and had treated it as a bare denial and afterthought.
“There was a serious misdirection by the trial judge which warranted appellate intervention,” she said.
Justices Ahmad Zaidi Ibrahim and Azman Abdullah also heard the appeal.
Syed Saddiq was found guilty in November 2023 of abetting in CBT involving more than RM1 million belonging to Bersatu Youth, and another count of dishonestly misappropriating property totalling more than RM120,000 also belonging to the wing.
The former Bersatu Youth chief was also convicted on two counts of money laundering for transferring a total of RM100,000 to his personal account from a company linked to the youth wing, Armada Bumi Bersatu Enterprise.
He was sentenced to three years’ jail and one stroke of the rotan on the CBT charge, two years and another stroke of the cane on the misappropriation charge, and another two-year jail term for each of the money laundering offences.
The Muda founder was also fined RM10 million.
The High Court had ordered that his jail terms for CBT and misappropriation run consecutively, and for those handed down for money laundering to run concurrently.
This meant that Syed Saddiq, the former Muda president, would have served seven years in jail. His sentence was stayed pending his appeal.
Deputy public prosecutor Wan Shaharuddin Wan Ladin said the prosecution would study the Court of Appeal’s judgment before deciding whether to file an appeal.
“We are able to appeal to the Federal Court as the trial began in the High Court,” he told reporters after the hearing.
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