KUALA LUMPUR (July 22): Former youth and sports minister Syed Saddiq Syed Abdul Rahman was charged and pleaded not guilty to misappropriation of over RM1 million belonging to a political party. 

He was charged this morning in the Sessions Court here with criminal breach of trust (CBT) under Sections 405 and 406 of the Penal Code. 

According to the charge read out to him before Judge Azura Alwi, Syed Saddiq is alleged to have withdrawn and misappropriated RM1 million on March 6, 2020 from Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia’s (Bersatu) youth wing known as Armada Bersatu without getting approval from party chiefs. 

At the time, he was the chief of the youth wing of the party. 

Investigations against the lawmaker began in June 2020 after a police report was lodged over the loss of RM250,000 which he had kept.

He, however, reported that the money belonged to him and his parents, and went missing from his Petaling Jaya home.

Syed Saddiq is currently serving as an independent Member of Parliament while awaiting the approval for the registration of the Malaysian United Democratic Alliance (MUDA), which he founded in September 2020 and is currently its president.

More to come