Hearing of Syed Saddiq’s corruption appeal fixed for March

The High Court had said that Muar MP Syed Saddiq Syed Abdul Rahman’s sentence took into account his status as a public figure and a role model for young people. (Bernama pic)

PUTRAJAYA: The Court of Appeal will hear Muar MP Syed Saddiq Syed Abdul Rahman’s appeal from his conviction and sentence over two days on March 19 and 20 next year.

The hearing dates were fixed following case management before Court of Appeal registrar Jumirah Marjuki today.

Lead defence counsel Hisyam Teh Poh Teik said Jumirah also directed parties to file their written submissions by March 4.

Hisyam said the appeal was fixed for further case management on Jan 15 to enable parties to update the court on the status of the appeal records.

Counsel Low Wei Loke and Beston Tan also appeared for Syed Saddiq, while deputy public prosecutors Wan Shahruddin Wan Ladin and Afif Ali appeared for the prosecution.

On Nov 9 last year, Syed Saddiq, a former Bersatu Youth chief, was found guilty of abetting in criminal breach of trust (CBT) involving more than RM1 million belonging to the wing, as well as a second count of dishonest misappropriation of property totalling more than RM120,000, also belonging to Bersatu Youth.

For the CBT charge, the court imposed a three-year jail term and ordered that Syed Saddiq receive one stroke of the rotan.

He was sentenced to two years in jail and another stroke of the cane for the misappropriation charge and additional two-year imprisonment terms for each of the money laundering offences.

The court ordered the jail terms for the CBT and dishonest misappropriation charges to run consecutively, while those handed down for the money laundering offences were made to run concurrently.

As a result, Syed Saddiq will serve five years in jail.

In his 22-page grounds of judgment released on Nov 28, Justice Azhar Abdul Hamid said Syed Saddiq’s sentence was not excessive as the court had taken into account his status as a public figure and a role model for young people.

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