Syed Saddiq wants to appeal his conviction, now that the written judgment is out

Muar MP Syed Saddiq Syed Abdul Rahman would be appealing against his conviction and seven year imprisonment and two strokes of caning sentence was delivered to him last year.

He had received the written judgment today.

“I look forward to clearing my name in the Court of Appeal,” he said via Instagram.

“I have always insisted on clearing my name in court.

I chose not to pursue them because I strongly believe that no one, not even the powerful, should be above the law.

“In the eyes of the law, we are all equal.

“Only through this uncompromising belief can Malaysia succeed in becoming a developed country that serves the interests of all Malaysians,” he said.

Earlier today, Kuala Lumpur High Court judge Datuk Azhar Abdul Hamid released his written judgment that highlighted why the sentence on the MP was justified.

The judge pointed out that the MP should uphold higher standards and set a good example to continue inspiring youth.

Syed Saddiq was found guilty for abetting to criminal breach of trust, property misappropriation and two counts of money laundering.

The judge also held Saddiq responsible to champion the rights of his constituents.

“The act of keeping and distributing the withdrawn cash, without securing it in a safe place at the Armada office, also raises an inference of malicious intent (bad faith).

“The accused’s action in instructing Rafiq to withdraw and transfer RM120,000 from ABBE into his personal account just a few days after the collection was made and before the election campaign began constitutes an offence under Section 403 of the Penal Code.

“Based on the overall evidence and the circumstances at the time, there is no reason for the accused to transfer the funds from ABBE’s account, except to finance his election campaign.

“Any financing or payments could have been made directly through the ABBE’s account without the need to transfer the funds into the accused’s personal account.

“This action, in the opinion of this court, clearly demonstrates the accused’s intent to misappropriate the funds for his own use,” he added.

The court also granted his application for a stay of execution pending appeal which allows him a delay in the sentencing.