Why woo ‘thief’ to support Muhyiddin, Syed Saddiq asks Armada chief

KUALA LUMPUR – Former Armada chief Syed Saddiq Syed Abdul Rahman claimed that his rival and successor Wan Ahmad Fayhsal Wan Ahmad Kamal had persuaded him to support Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin.

The Muar MP’s revelation comes after Wan Fayhsal accused the former of misappropriating Bersatu funds when he was still the party’s Youth chief.

“If I am so evil as to steal Armada funds, why meet me before I am charged (in order) to support the prime minister?” Syed Saddiq asked Wan Fayhsal.

“Truth will prevail. Enjoy your ‘surat sokongan’ (support letter) while it lasts.”

Syed Saddiq, who co-founded youth-based party Muda after leaving Bersatu, was replying to a tweet in which Wan Fayhsal said the former had “swept” away money belonging to Armada.

In the same tweet, he was also accused of not keeping financial records and not being able to explain the spending.

The war of words between the two comes a day before the former youth and sports minister is due to face money-laundering charges at the sessions court in Johor Baru, Johor.

He is also expected to receive additional charges under the Anti-Money Laundering and Anti-Terrorism Financing Act 2001, according to earlier reports.

On July 22, Syed Saddiq was charged with allegedly misappropriating RM1 million belonging to his former party Bersatu.

He is accused of doing so via a CIMB Bank cheque at the bank’s branch in KL Sentral on March 6 last year, without obtaining permission from the Bersatu supreme council.

He was also charged with allegedly misusing a RM120,000 donation for the 14th general election campaign between April 8 and 21, 2018. The donation was said to had been collected via a Maybank Islamic account owned by Armada Bumi Bersatu Enterprise.

For both accusations, Syed Saddiq was charged under Section 405 of the Penal Code, which carries a maximum of 10 years in prison, caning and fine, upon conviction. – The Vibes, August 5, 2021