- Malaysian lawmaker found guilty of corruption by high court

A Malaysian lawmaker from a youth-based party that withdrew from the ruling coalition due to corruption concerns has been convicted of corruption by the Kuala Lumpur High Court, according to state news agency Bernama. Syed Saddiq Syed Abdul Rahman, a member of the Malaysian United Democratic Alliance (MUDA), had previously withdrawn support for Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim’s coalition over corruption concerns after graft charges against the country’s deputy premier were dropped. The court found Syed Saddiq guilty on four charges related to criminal breach of trust, misappropriation of property, and money laundering. The charges stemmed from allegations that he abetted a former official of the Bersatu party in misappropriating 1 million ringgit ($213,675.21) in funds for the party’s youth wing while Bersatu was in power. Despite the charges, Syed Saddiq can still serve as a member of parliament.