Prosecution appeals against ex-Malaysian minister Syed Saddiq's acquittal on corruption charges
PETALING JAYA - The prosecution has filed a notice of appeal against the acquittal of former Malaysian minister Syed Saddiq Syed Abdul Rahman on corruption and money laundering charges.
The notice was filed on June 26, as stated in a release by the Attorney-General's Chambers.
The intended appeal challenges the Court of Appeal's decision to set aside the conviction of the Muar Member of Parliament on June 25.
In its unanimous decision, the appellate court allowed the former youth and sports minister's appeal, stating that Mr Syed Saddiq should have been acquitted without his defence being called during the trial.
The three-judge Bench concluded that the prosecution failed to prove the elements of the predicate charges of abetting in criminal breach of trust (CBT) and dishonest misappropriation.
The court held that Mr Syed Saddiq was legally entitled to the money collected from donors for his political campaign and that allegations of fund misappropriation would not have arisen if the money had been directly deposited into his bank account.
The court agreed with Mr Syed Saddiq's defence that the money from public contributions was intended to effectively finance his election campaign and not for Armada Bersatu, his former political party.
Mr Syed Saddiq was found guilty by the High Court in November 2023 of abetting in CBT involving more than RM1 million (S$303,300) 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 cane 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.
He was also fined RM10 million. THE STAR/ASIA NEWS NETWORK
Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Straits Times
29 minutes ago
- Straits Times
Hamas seeks ceasefire guarantees as scores more killed in Gaza
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox Palestinians inspect the damage at a school sheltering displaced people in Gaza City on July 3 following an overnight Israeli airstrike. - Hamas is seeking guarantees that a new US ceasefire proposal for Gaza would lead to the war's end, a source close to the militant group said on July 3, as medics said Israeli strikes across the territory had killed scores more people. Israeli officials said prospects for reaching a ceasefire deal and hostage deal appeared high, nearly 21 months since the war between Israel and Hamas began. On the ground, intensified Israeli strikes across Gaza continued unabated, killing at least 59 people on July 3, according to health authorities in the territory. Efforts for a Gaza truce have gathered steam after the US secured a ceasefire to end a 12-day aerial conflict between Israel and Iran . On July 1, US President Donald Trump said that Israel had accepted the conditions needed to finalise a 60-day ceasefire with Hamas, during which the parties will work to end the war. Hamas is seeking clear guarantees that the ceasefire will eventually lead to the war's end, the source close to the group said. Two Israeli officials said that those details were still being worked out. Ending the war has been the main sticking point in repeated rounds of failed negotiations. Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Singapore $500 in Child LifeSG credits, Edusave, Post-Sec Education Account top-ups to be disbursed in July Singapore PAP questions Pritam's interview with Malaysian podcast, says politics should stop at water's edge World Liverpool's Portuguese forward Diogo Jota dies in car crash in Spain Sport Liverpool star Diogo Jota dead at 28: What you need to know about the footballer Business 60 S'pore firms to get AI boost from Tata Consultancy as it launches a new innovation centre here Singapore Scoot launches flights to Da Nang, Kota Bharu and Nha Trang; boosts frequency to other destinations Singapore Electrician who bit off part of coworker's ear during fight gets 6 months' jail Asia 4 dead, 30 missing after ferry sinks on way to Indonesia's Bali A separate source familiar with the matter said that Israel was expecting Hamas' response by July 4 and that if it was positive, an Israeli delegation would join indirect talks to cement the deal. It was unclear whether those would be held in Egypt or Qatar, the two countries that have been mediating talks. The proposal includes the staggered release of 10 living Israeli hostages and the return of the bodies of 18 more in exchange for Palestinian prisoners held in Israeli jails, sources say. Of the 50 remaining hostages in Gaza, 20 are believed to still be alive . A senior Israeli official close to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said preparations were in place to approve a ceasefire deal even as the premier heads to Washington to meet Mr Trump on July 7 . 'Readiness to advance' Israeli Energy Minister Eli Cohen, who sits on Mr Netanyahu's security cabinet, told news website Ynet that there was "definitely readiness to advance a deal." In Gaza, however, there was little sign of relief. At least 17 people were killed in an Israeli strike that hit a school in Gaza City where displaced families were sheltering, according to medics. "Suddenly, we found the tent collapsing over us and a fire burning. We don't know what happened," one witness, Wafaa Al-Arqan, told Reuters. "What can we do? Is it fair that all these children burned?" According to medics at Nasser hospital farther south, at least 20 people were killed by Israeli fire en route to an aid distribution site. The Israeli military said it was looking into the reports and that its forces were taking precautions to mitigate harm to civilians as it battled Palestinian militants throughout Gaza. The war began when Hamas fighters stormed into Israel on October 7, 2023, killing 1,200 people and taking 251 hostages back to Gaza, according to Israeli tallies. Israel's subsequent military assault has killed more than 57,000 Palestinians, according to the Gaza health ministry, while displacing most of the population of more than 2 million, triggering widespread hunger and leaving much of the territory in ruins. Israel says it won't end the war while Hamas is still armed and ruling Gaza. Hamas, severely weakened, says it won't lay down its weapons but is willing to release all the hostages still in Gaza if Israel ends the war. REUTERS
Straits Times
29 minutes ago
- Straits Times
Indonesia says it will sign $43 billion pact with US partners ahead of tariff talks deadline
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox Indonesia's chief economic minister Airlangga Hartarto said the MOU is due to be signed on July 7. JAKARTA - Indonesia will sign a pact worth US$34 billion (S$43 billion) with business partners next week to boost purchases from the US, as part of efforts to strike a trade deal with Washington ahead of the July 9 deadline, Indonesia's chief economic minister said on July 3. The deal would include increasing imports of fuels and investment by Indonesian companies in energy and agriculture sectors in the US. Separately, flag carrier Garuda Indonesia also said it is in talks to buy up to 75 jets from Boeing. Jakarta is facing a 32 per cent tariff in US markets and has previously offered to increase US imports to facilitate trade talks between the two sides. Indonesia enjoyed a goods trade surplus of US$17.9 billion with the United States in 2024, according to the US Trade Representative. Speaking to journalists, Minister Airlangga Hartarto said the memorandum of understanding due to be signed on July 7 will deploy the US$34 billion for new Indonesian investments and purchases in the United States. 'This shows that government, regulators, state-owned enterprises and the private sector are together in responding to the imposition of US reciprocal tariffs,' Mr Airlangga said. He said that by addressing the trade balance with the United States, Indonesia hoped to get a better trade deal than the one struck with Vietnam. Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Singapore $500 in Child LifeSG credits, Edusave, Post-Sec Education Account top-ups to be disbursed in July Singapore PAP questions Pritam's interview with Malaysian podcast, says politics should stop at water's edge World Liverpool's Portuguese forward Diogo Jota dies in car crash in Spain Sport Liverpool star Diogo Jota dead at 28: What you need to know about the footballer Business 60 S'pore firms to get AI boost from Tata Consultancy as it launches a new innovation centre here Singapore Scoot launches flights to Da Nang, Kota Bharu and Nha Trang; boosts frequency to other destinations Singapore Electrician who bit off part of coworker's ear during fight gets 6 months' jail Asia 4 dead, 30 missing after ferry sinks on way to Indonesia's Bali The US announced on July 2 that it will place a lower-than-promised 20 per cent tariff on many Vietnamese exports , down from the original 46 per cent announced by US President Donald Trump in April. Meanwhile, Garuda's potential jet purchase may include 737 Max 8 and 787 jets, its chief executive Wamildan Tsani told reporters after meeting Mr Airlangga. It was unclear whether Garuda's discussion with Boeing is part of the tariff negotiations. The airline is struggling to recover from the impact of the pandemic. It secured a US$405 million loan from sovereign wealth fund Danantara Indonesia in June for maintenance, repair and overhaul of its fleet. REUTERS
Straits Times
37 minutes ago
- Straits Times
China denies military base ambitions in Pacific Islands, focus instead on improved livelihoods
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox China's embassy spokesman said the claims about China setting up a military base in the Pacific are false narratives. – China's embassy in Fiji on July 3 denied that Beijing wanted a military base or sphere of influence in the Pacific Islands after Fiji's Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka said islands were trying to cope with a powerful China seeking to spread its influence. 'The claims about China setting up a military base in the Pacific are false narratives,' China's embassy spokesman said in a statement. 'China's presence in the Pacific is focused on building roads and bridges to improve people's livelihoods, not on stationing troops or setting up military bases.' Mr Rabuka said on July 2 that his country has development cooperation with China but is opposed to Beijing establishing a military base in the region. In any case, China did not need a base to project power in the region, he added. China tested an intercontinental ballistic missile in September 2024 that flew over Fiji to land 11,000km from China in the international waters of the Pacific Ocean. 'If they can very well target an empty space, they can very well target occupied space,' Mr Rabuka told the National Press Club in Canberra, Australia. Washington became concerned about China's ambition to gain a military foothold in the Pacific Islands in 2018 when Beijing sought to redevelop a naval base in Papua New Guinea and a military base in Fiji. China was outbid by Australia for both projects. Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Singapore $500 in Child LifeSG credits, Edusave, Post-Sec Education Account top-ups to be disbursed in July Singapore PAP questions Pritam's interview with Malaysian podcast, says politics should stop at water's edge World Liverpool's Portuguese forward Diogo Jota dies in car crash in Spain Sport Liverpool star Diogo Jota dead at 28: What you need to know about the footballer Business 60 S'pore firms to get AI boost from Tata Consultancy as it launches a new innovation centre here Singapore Scoot launches flights to Da Nang, Kota Bharu and Nha Trang; boosts frequency to other destinations Singapore Electrician who bit off part of coworker's ear during fight gets 6 months' jail Asia 4 dead, 30 missing after ferry sinks on way to Indonesia's Bali The concern resurfaced in 2022 when China signed a security pact with the Solomon Islands, prompting Washington to warn it would respond if Beijing established a permanent military presence. In November 2024, the outgoing US Deputy Secretary of State Kurt Campbell urged the Trump administration to keep its focus on the region because China wanted to build bases in the Pacific Islands. The Chinese embassy spokesman said Fiji and China respect each other's sovereignty. 'China has no interest in geopolitical competition or seeking the so-called sphere of influence,' the statement added. China has established a police presence in the Solomon Islands, Kiribati and Vanuatu. REUTERS
