KUALA LUMPUR – Former Malaysian youth and sports minister Syed Saddiq Abdul Rahman was acquitted and walked free after the Federal Court on Monday, July 13, upheld his acquittal on charges of criminal breach of trust, misappropriation of property, and money laundering. These charges were linked to funds belonging to Armada, the youth wing of his former party, Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia (Bersatu).
The Federal Court, Malaysia’s highest judicial authority, ruled in a 2-1 majority decision that the Court of Appeal had correctly overturned Syed Saddiq’s convictions and found no reason for further appellate intervention. Justices Che Mohd Ruzima Ghazali and Collin Lawrence Sequerah formed the majority, while Court of Appeal president Justice Abu Bakar Jais dissented. Abu Bakar acknowledged his views did not prevail and stated, “Despite all the charges and reasons given above, each of these appeals are dismissed,” as quoted by Malay Mail.
Syed Saddiq, 33, was initially charged in 2021 with abetting Rafiq Hakim Razali, former assistant treasurer of Armada, in criminal breach of trust involving over RM1 million at a CIMB bank branch in Kuala Lumpur in March 2020. He was also convicted by the High Court in November 2023 on misappropriation of more than RM120,000 belonging to Armada and two money laundering charges involving RM100,000 transferred to his personal account from a company linked to the youth wing. The High Court sentenced him to seven years in jail, two strokes of the cane, and a RM10 million (US$2.45 million) fine.
However, the Court of Appeal acquitted Syed Saddiq in June 2025 after finding the charges baseless, a decision now upheld by the Federal Court. The Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission had first opened an investigation into Syed Saddiq in March 2020.
Hours after the Federal Court ruling, Syed Saddiq was seen entering Malaysia’s parliament in Kuala Lumpur, where a session was underway.
Loading comments.