Syed Saddiq Requested RM120K In Public Donations To Be Wired To His Account, Court Hears
The prosecution argued that Syed Saddiq's claim that the funds were for election expenses was an afterthought made after he was caught.
By Yap Wan Xiang — 18 Apr 2025, 01:03 PM
Syed Saddiq Syed Abdul Rahman requested a Bersatu Youth member to transfer RM120,000 into his personal account before the 14th General Election (GE14), the Court of Appeal heard yesterday, 17 April
According to FMT, deputy public prosecutor (DPP) Farah Ezlin Yusop Khan said the former Bersatu Youth chief raised the funds through two fundraising events held in Muar and Ampang in April 2018, just weeks before GE14 on 9 May 2018.
"He told donors that GE14 was the mother of all polls and that the odds were stacked against the opposition. He pleaded for their help to cross the finish line," she said.
The funds were initially placed in a Bersatu Youth bank account. However, Bersatu Youth's former assistant treasurer Rafiq Hakim Razali was later instructed to transfer the funds into Syed Saddiq's personal account through four transactions on 28 April 2018, just before the 11-day election campaign commenced.
Farah claimed Syed Saddiq then transferred RM100,000 in two separate transactions on 15 and 16 June 2018 into his Amanah Saham Bumiputera investment account.
"What transpired was a change in intention, as the money remained untouched during the entire campaign period and was only dealt with later," said the DPP before a three-member bench chaired by Justice Datuk Ahmad Zaidi Ibrahim.
Farah argued that Syed Saddiq's claim that the funds were meant for election expenses was questionable, asserting it was merely an afterthought
"This defence only came about during the trial after he was caught," she added.
Meanwhile, deputy public prosecutor Datuk Wan Shaharuddin Wan Ladin claimed that the 33-year-old Muar member of parliament (MP) had acted dishonestly and maliciously when he requested Rafiq to "clear" the money from his house, reported the New Straits Times.
"Syed Saddiq had told Rafiq that the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) had begun inspecting his house and asked him to 'clear' the money for fear of it being confiscated by MACC.
"When cross-examined, Rafiq was asked the meaning of clearing. He answered, 'Do not keep the money in my house'.
"Rafiq said clearing meant disposing of and getting rid of it.
"If the money is truly legitimate, was there a need to order Rafiq to clear it?" questioned Wan Shaharuddin.
The DPP argued that Syed Saddiq orchestrated the moving of funds, asserting that the Muar MP had previously referred to the money as his "hard-earned money".
The court scheduled a case management session on 24 April to determine whether it will issue a verdict on Syed Saddiq's appeal against his criminal conviction and sentence.
