THREATS to his family were the last straw for Bersatu Youth (Armada) chief Syed Saddiq Abdul Rahman, prompting him to turn the tables on those who offered him money to leave the country before the 14th general election.

He refused to go into details about the threats and stressed they did not involve anything illegal concerning his family members.

At the risk of making more enemies, the 25-year-old founding member of Bersatu yesterday decided to expose the offer of RM5 million to leave Malaysia for a period to pursue graduate studies at Oxford, which he said was made by a senior aide of Prime Minister Najib Razak.

“They tried to get to people close to me because they know that money alone would not change my mind,” Syed Saddiq told The Malaysian Insight at the Bersatu headquarters last night.

“They threatened to expose something about my parents or my brother. It doesn’t mean that my family has done anything illegal but the threats were very personal.”

The Youth chief said his family could be embarrassed if the secret became public knowledge. But he warned that it would backfire on them if they did it.

“It’s not like I slept with anyone anyway. But it would harm my family. If they went ahead and did it, it would destroy their lives,” the law graduate said.

“How low can you go by trying to destroy one’s family to achieve political ends?”

Syed Saddiq was explaining why he had not gone to the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission immediately after he was offered RM5 million to take up graduate studies in Oxford University.

Although the offer was not illegal, he said he had audio recordings and other proof that it did take place. He said he would reveal the proof if threatened.

At a press conference yesterday, Syed Saddiq said he was offered RM5 million to continue his studies. In return, he would have to read a script criticising Bersatu chairman Dr Mahathir Mohamad.

He was also explaining why he chose to pretend to accept the offer and then reveal it during his press conference yesterday held at the Seri Pan Pacific Hotel, next to the Umno headquarters in Kuala Lumpur.

Syed Saddiq said the venue was chosen for him.

Asked who paid for the conference room, he said: “I had to pay RM1,800 for an hour’s use of the room. I was supposed to be compensated for it. But I don’t think I will now be paid”.

When asked if he was ready for repercussions, Syed Saddiq said he cannot live in fear.

“I have taken some extra precautions, such as not walking around alone but I’m prepared for it. We cannot live in fear forever.” – October 3, 2017.