Local Authority:

Syed Saddiq

At age 23, Syed Saddiq was made the Youth Chief of Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia when Tun
Mahathir Mohamad formed the party in 2016. In 2018, Syed Saddiq was sworn in as the 18th
Youth and Sports Minister under the then Pakatan Harapan government headed by Dr Mahathir.
The appointment made him the youngest Cabinet member in Malaysia at age 25.

Brief Facts:

Deputy public prosecutor Datuk Wan Shaharuddin Wan Ladin appeared for the prosecution, while
lawyer Gobind Singh Deo represented Syed Saddiq. A total of 30 prosecution witnesses testified
in the trial which started on June 21, 2022. On October 28 last year, Syed Saddiq was ordered to
enter his defence after the prosecution successfully established a prima facie case against him. In
this trial, the former youth and sports minister stands accused of abetting former Armada assistant
treasurer Rafiq Hakim Razali, who was entrusted with RM1 million in Armada’s funds, to commit
criminal breach of trust by misappropriating the funds. Syed Saddiq is also accused of
misappropriating RM120,000 from Armada Bumi Bersatu Enterprise’s Maybank Islamic Bhd
account by making Rafiq dispose of the money; and two counts of engaging in money laundering.

Judgement:
- Syed Saddiq Syed Abdul Rahman, who was convicted on all four charges he faced, was
also fined 10 million ringgit ($2.13 million) and became the first politician to receive a
flogging sentence – he will get two strokes of the cane.
- He was found guilty because the defense “failed to raise reasonable doubt in the
prosecution’s case for all four charges,” Kuala Lumpur High Court judge Azhar Abdul
said in delivering the verdict in the case filed in 2021.

References:
1. https://www.benarnews.org/english/news/malaysian/syed-saddiq-guilty-7-years-prison-
11092023130750.html
2. https://www.malaymail.com/news/malaysia/2023/11/09/high-court-finds-syed-saddiq-guilty-of-
corruption/101065#:~:text=KUALA%20LUMPUR%2C%20Nov
%209%20%E2%80%94%20Muar,its%20chief%20three%20years%20ago.
3. https://www.channelnewsasia.com/asia/syed-saddiq-guilty-corruption-jail-cane-fine-proportion-
najib-zahid-muda-3912416
4. https://www.straitstimes.com/asia/se-asia/rising-star-to-disgraced-politician-6-things-to-know-
about-malaysian-mp-syed-saddiq

International Authority:

Donald Trump

The 77-year-old, who is the first former president in US history to be criminally charged, now
faces dozens of charges across four separate cases.
And his legal troubles don't end there, as Mr Trump is also facing several civil cases relating to,
among other things, the business empire that made his name. There are crucial legal appeals that
are yet to be settled too, including one on whether he is immune from prosecution.

Brief Facts:

The former president has pleaded not guilty to the charges against him and is scheduled to
stand trial in multiple cases in the coming months. Trump has insisted that the cases against
him are politically motivated and his lawyers have filed motions arguing that presidents have
absolute immunity from prosecution for actions taken while in office.

Judgement:
- Judge Arthur Engoron ordered Trump and his company to pay $354 million in fines
— a total that jumps to $453.5 million when pre-judgment interest is factored in. It
also bars them from seeking loans from financial institutions in New York for a period
of three years, and includes a three-year ban on Trump serving as an officer or
director of any New York corporation.

References:
1. https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-61084161

2. https://www.aljazeera.com/economy/2024/4/2/trump-posts-one-hundred-seventy-five-
million-dollar-bond-to-avoid-asset-seizures
3. https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/frontline/article/a-guide-to-the-criminal-cases-against-donald-
trump/

4. https://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/2016/9/28/12904136/donald-trump-corrupt

5. https://www.cbsnews.com/news/read-trump-new-york-fraud-case-decision-fine-sanctions/