KUALA LUMPUR – Bersatu Youth chief Wan Ahmad Fayhsal Wan Ahmad Kamal confirmed that he met Muar MP Syed Saddiq Syed Abdul Rahman recently, but as friends and not “to buy his support”.
Wan Fayhsal said the context of the meeting was to ask Syed Saddiq to put aside any political rivalry and mobilise the youth in the country.
“I would like to confirm that we met recently. The meeting was held in a personal capacity as friends. Syed Saddiq is a youth leader, former youth and sports minister, and a former Bersatu Youth chief, and he still plays a role in leading the current discourse among young people.
“I consider him as a friend, brother, and comrade-in-arms. The idea I brought was to set aside political rivalry and mobilise the spirit of unification of young people in order to rebuild the country collectively,” he said in a statement today.
However, Wan Fayhsal, who is also the deputy youth and sports minister, denied that he made any offers and threatened his former boss, who is currently facing several court cases.
“I vehemently deny any allegations that have been made against me. I did not make any offers or threats. This is not true. The allegation that the current court case has been ‘designed’ is unjustified because the police report leading to this case was made by Syed Saddiq himself,” he added.
“If he is confident that he is innocent, the court is the best forum to prove this truth. We will always wish him the best and good luck,” he also added.
Yesterday, Syed Saddiq said Wan Fayhsal tried to persuade him to back Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin and the Perikatan Nasional government.
“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,” he added.
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.
Syed Saddiq today claimed trial at the Johor Baru sessions court to two counts under the Anti-Money Laundering and Anti-Terrorism Financing Act 2001. He was accused of misappropriating RM100,000.
Today’s charges are in addition to his charges on July 22 in Kuala Lumpur for allegedly misappropriating RM1 million belonging to Bersatu.
He is accused of having done so via a CIMB Bank cheque at the bank’s branch at KL Sentral on March 6 last year without obtaining permission from the Bersatu supreme council.
Syed Saddiq was also charged with misusing a RM120,000 donation for the 14th general election campaign between April 8 and 21, 2018. The funds were collected via a Maybank Islamic account owned by Armada Bumi Bersatu Enterprise.
For both accusations, he was charged under Section 405 of the Penal Code, which carries a maximum of 10 years’ imprisonment, caning and a fine upon conviction. – The Vibes, August 5, 2021
