Court of Appeal acquits Syed Saddiq of all charges in high-profile case
Malaysia’s Court of Appeal has acquitted Muar MP Syed Saddiq Syed Abdul Rahman of criminal breach of trust, misappropriation, and money laundering charges, overturning a 2023 High Court ruling that had sentenced him to prison, caning, and a RM10 million fine.
- The Court of Appeal acquitted Syed Saddiq of CBT, misappropriation, and money laundering charges on 18 September 2025.
- Judges ruled prosecution evidence was not credible and funds were used for official or campaign purposes.
- The decision overturns a 2023 High Court conviction that had imposed jail, caning, and a RM10 million fine.
The Court of Appeal in Putrajaya has acquitted Muar Member of Parliament Syed Saddiq Syed Abdul Rahman of four charges relating to criminal breach of trust (CBT), misappropriation of property, and money laundering.
The unanimous ruling was delivered on 18 September 2025 by a three-judge panel comprising Justices Datuk Ahmad Zaidi Ibrahim, Datuk Azman Abdullah, and Datuk Noorin Badaruddin.
It overturned the Kuala Lumpur High Court’s decision on 9 November 2023, which had sentenced the 32-year-old MP to seven years’ imprisonment, two strokes of the cane, and a RM10 million fine.
Justice Noorin, who read the judgment, said the prosecution had failed to prove the CBT charge under Section 406 of the Penal Code. She found the evidence unreliable and insufficient to sustain the misappropriation and money laundering charges under the Anti-Money Laundering, Anti-Terrorism Financing and Proceeds of Unlawful Activities Act 2001.
She emphasised that Syed Saddiq could not be convicted of abetment when the principal CBT offence was itself unproven under Section 405 of the Penal Code.
The court determined that the RM1 million cited in the CBT charge had been fully utilised for Armada’s official activities, with no indication of personal benefit for Syed Saddiq. Armada is the youth wing of Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia (Bersatu).
Syed Saddiq had been accused of abetting Armada’s former assistant treasurer, Rafiq Hakim Razali, in withdrawing the RM1 million from CIMB Bank at KL Sentral on 6 March 2020.
He also faced allegations of misappropriating RM120,000 between 8 and 21 April 2018 by instructing Rafiq Hakim to dispose of funds from the Maybank Islamic Berhad account of Armada Bumi Bersatu Enterprise.
Justice Noorin ruled the funds had been raised for Syed Saddiq’s election campaign and therefore belonged to him personally, not Armada. She added there was no evidence that the account contained organisational donations.
Two money laundering charges involving transfers of RM50,000 each to Syed Saddiq’s Amanah Saham Bumiputera account in June 2018 were also dismissed. The court said they could not stand as they were based on the earlier unproven allegations of unlawful activity.
Justice Ahmad Zaidi underlined that the appellate court’s decision was based strictly on the case records and not influenced by public opinion or social media discussions.
The defence was led by Datuk Mohd Yusof Zainal Abiden and Datuk Hisyam Teh Poh Teik, while the prosecution was represented by Deputy Public Prosecutor Datuk Wan Shaharuddin Wan Ladin.
The acquittal represents a major turning point for Syed Saddiq, who has consistently maintained his innocence. His 2023 conviction had triggered extensive debate over judicial impartiality and political accountability.
Legal experts and political analysts are expected to closely examine the Court of Appeal’s reasoning, given its implications for future prosecutions involving political figures and financial misconduct.
