Mariam Mokhtar : Was Syed Saddiq stitched up?

Mariam Mokhtar.

Yesterday, the hopes of many Malaysians for a better, reformed, and progressive nation, committed to serving all parts of our diverse community without fear or favour, died, when Muar MP Syed Saddiq Syed Abdul Rahman was sentenced to seven years’ jail, two strokes of the rotan, and an RM10 million fine.

This was after the Kuala Lumpur High Court found him guilty of four charges of criminal breach of trust (CBT), misappropriation of property, and money laundering linked to RM1.12 million of Bersatu Youth funds.

Has all hope gone, or are we experiencing a temporary setback?

I think it is the latter. There is still a lot of hope left and we must not give up on Muda, the party that Syed Saddiq founded in November 2020.

Nor should we give up on Syed Saddiq.

The former youth and sports minister may have been politically naïve in his youth, but who does not make mistakes when they are young?

Certainly, cozying up to former prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad and having dinner with the controversial Indian fugitive, Zakir Naik, didn’t do him any favours.

Those who think that Syed Saddiq is a poor judge of character should recall how another person, now in power, was also accused of the same inability to assess other peoples’ motives.

Those accused of worse walk free.

It was a dark day for Malaysia because Syed Saddiq’s particularly harsh sentence now raises profound questions about our judiciary. High-profile politicians and their spouses have been fully acquitted or awarded a discharge not amounting to an acquittal (DNAA) for sums that make Syed Saddiq’s RM1.2 million look like kacang putih.

Taking RM1.20, RM120, or RM1,200 which is not yours, is wrong, but those who have had their hands in the till since before Syed Saddiq was born have been allowed to escape. Why?

Hence, handing Syed Saddiq this grossly excessive punishment will only serve to make him a martyr.

It is disingenuous for deputy public prosecutor Wan Shaharuddin Wan Ladin to urge for a deterrent jail sentence when most of us know where the problem lies.

Moreover, Malaysians are well aware of how this country is governed and that Malaysian politics is toxic.

Syed Saddiq rejected the Sheraton political coup and displeased former prime minister Muhyiddin Yassin.

Syed Saddiq has the youth behind him. He is charismatic, articulate, and good-looking. The same cannot be said of Ahmad Faizal Azumu, Bersatu’s number two.

If you recall, Syed Saddiq was charged during Muhyiddin’s Perikatan Nasional administration.

If you dare to speak out and question your elders, you are seen as a threat. From our observations, the people who occupy the PM’s seat demand absolute loyalty.

Syed Saddiq upset two former PMs. He rebuffed Muhyiddin. He rejected Dr Mahathir’s Pejuang party.

He questioned Deputy Prime Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi’s DNAA last September and withdrew his support for Anwar Ibrahim’s coalition government.

For the Madani administration, Zahid is worth his weight in gold. Without Zahid commanding Umno-Baru to support Pakatan Harapan, there would be no coalition government.

What is Muda to the Madani administration? It is only a minor party and that may explain why attempts by Muda to have discussions with PKR/Harapan came to naught.

‘Deterrent sentence’

Wan Shaharuddin acknowledged Syed Saddiq’s contributions to society but he said that the message of a stiff sentence should be delivered because of the “multiple CBT cases taking place nowadays”.

Well, whose fault is that? Who allowed the sharks in the political world to escape scot-free? Not just in the world of politics but in the civil service and the GLC too. What happened to the law enforcers?

The DPP also said, “We the prosecution pray that the accused, after serving his sentence, would come out as not only a better individual but also a better politician and a better member of society.

“He (Syed Saddiq) is young and there is plenty of time for him to change his ways, and may he repent (insaf) over the offence committed.”

Did they demand the same of the handful of corrupt politicians who were successfully convicted and punished?

If the DPP truly wanted an effective deterrent, then they should demand stricter enforcement without fear and favour, and perhaps three-quarters of the politicians in Parliament would be languishing in jail now.

It took years for the convicted felon, Najib Abdul Razak, to be tried. All of his former cabinet protested his innocence and weaved the fairy tale about the Arab prince.

Muda remains our hope for the future.

Syed Saddiq apologised and stepped down as president of Muda whilst he cleared his name. None of the old guards have that sort of integrity. Najib never apologised for stealing taxpayers’ money. Mahathir has never said sorry for dividing the nation.

In the past, many corrupt senior politicians feigned sickness or ran off to Mecca to escape our scrutiny when media attention on their corrupt activities dominated newspaper headlines.

Today, these men and women have climbed up the greasy pole of society and politics to make up for lost time, but Syed has been made an example of a corrupt, money laundering MP, whilst the real sharks are allowed to flee.

Was Syed Saddiq’s charge and sentencing a stitch-up from the time he upset former and current PMs?

When all the heavyweights gang up on Syed Saddiq, you know that he is doing the right thing. He will bounce back.

Don’t dismiss Muda because its leaders are committed to a progressive Malaysia.

Engage with them, talk to their acting president Amira Aisya Abdul Aziz. Learn about their vision for Malaysia. I have, many times. I have no doubt about their passion and commitment.

They represent the change we need for Malaysia’s survival. They carry our hopes for the future.

MARIAM MOKHTAR is a defender of the truth, the admiral-general of the Green Bean Army, and the president of the Perak Liberation Organisation (PLO). Blog, Twitter.