The Federal Court held a hearing on June 30 to decide the prosecution's final appeal seeking to reinstate Syed Saddiq's 7-year jail sentence, two strokes of the cane, and RM10 million fine for corruption-related offences [1, 2, 3, 4].
Syed Saddiq, 34, was previously acquitted by the Court of Appeal on charges including criminal breach of trust, dishonest misappropriation, and money laundering related to Bersatu youth wing funds [2, 3, 4]. The prosecution’s case is led by deputy public prosecutor Datuk Wan Shaharuddin Wan Ladin [2, 5, 3, 4].
The Federal Court bench hearing the appeal comprised Court of Appeal President Datuk Seri Abu Bakar Jais and Federal Court judges Datuk Che Mohd Ruzima Ghazali and Datuk Collin Lawrence Sequerah [2, 3]. Security was tightened at the Palace of Justice, with public subjected to bag checks before entering the court complex [1, 2, 3]. Syed Saddiq appeared as the respondent but was not seen early on the decision day [1, 2, 3].
His fiancée, 33-year-old Bella Astillah, asked for prayers and pledged emotional support ahead of the verdict. "Pray for us," she said. She also wrote, "Stay strong... Insya-Allah, I will always support you. Pray for the best," and reflected on the long legal battle: "Tomorrow (today) is a very significant day after such a long wait. I pray that truth, justice and peace will always be with YB Syed Saddiq... Sometimes the journey in search of justice is not easy... But I believe every trial carry wisdom, and every sincere prayer is never in vain... God willing" [1, 2, 5, 3, 4]. Syed Saddiq thanked supporters, saying, "Thank you for always standing faithfully by my side" and recalled, "Six years I've been fighting for justice ... Until finally, in the Court of Appeal, the court ruled with a unanimous decision. 3-0. I was completely freed" [4].
Syed Saddiq’s legal battle dates back six years. The High Court convicted him on November 9, 2023, sentencing him to seven years' imprisonment, two strokes of the cane, and a RM10 million fine [2, 4]. The Court of Appeal overturned that conviction unanimously on June 25, 2025 [2, 4]. The Federal Court had earlier directed parties to reconsider their positions in December 2025 before allowing the prosecution to proceed with the appeal [2].
After hearing arguments on June 30, the Federal Court postponed delivering its verdict to July 13 [5]. The court's decision on that date will determine whether Syed Saddiq's conviction and sentence are reinstated or if his acquittal stands.
