Syed Saddiq gets temporary release of passport to attend conference in Indonesia

The Kuala Lumpur High Court today allowed an application by Muar MP Syed Saddiq Syed Abdul Rahman for the temporary release of his passport to attend a youth leadership conference in Indonesia tomorrow.

Judge Azhar Abdul Hamid allowed the application after hearing the submissions by lawyer Lim Wei Jiet, representing Syed Saddiq, and deputy public prosecutor Wan Shaharuddin Wan Ladin.

In allowing the application, Azhar ordered Syed Saddiq to return the passport to the court on Sept 11.

Wan Shaharuddin had objected to Syed Saddiq's application on grounds of a pending criminal case. However, Lim argued that the court had similarly released Syed Saddiq’s passport in April, to attend conferences in Switzerland and South Korea.

He added that Syed Saddiq was not a flight risk, as he was a serving MP and had been cooperative since the start of his criminal trial. 

In the application on Sept 1, Syed Saddiq asked for the temporary return of his passport from Sept 4 to 11, so he could attend an international conference in Indonesia where he is slated to speak.

On Oct 28 last year, Syed Saddiq was ordered to enter his defence for four charges of abetting in criminal breach of trust (CBT), the misappropriation of property and money laundering after the prosecution proved a prima facie case against him at the end of its case.

The former youth and sports minister testified in his own defence for two days from Feb 22 this year while five other individuals also gave evidence as defence witnesses. Judge Azhar will deliver his judgment on a date yet to be fixed.

Syed Saddiq was charged as the then Bersatu Youth chief with abetting Rafiq Hakim, who was entrusted with RM1 million in funds belonging to the wing, in committing criminal breach of trust by misappropriating the funds at CIMB Bank, Menara CIMB KL Sentral, Jalan Stesen Sentral 2 on March 6, 2020.

Syed Saddiq was also charged with misappropriating RM120,000 from the Maybank Islamic account belonging to Armada Bumi Bersatu Enterprise by causing Rafiq Hakim to dispose of the money at Malayan Banking, Jalan Pandan 3/6A, Taman Pandan Jaya between April 8 and 21, 2018.

He also faces two counts of engaging in money laundering activities through two transactions of RM50,000 each, believed to be proceeds from unlawful activities, from his Maybank Islamic account into his Amanah Saham Bumiputera account at a bank in Jalan Persisiran Perling, Taman Perling, Johor Bahru, on June 16 and 19, 2018.