PKR secretary-general Rafizi Ramli is a man of no regrets and is in fact ready for time in jail.
This, following the Kuala Lumpur Sessions Court’s decision ordering him to enter his defence on charges under the Official Secrets Act (OSA).
Rafizi said he had expected today’s decision but believes that his legal team will prove the weaknesses of the prosecution during the continued hearing.
“I have accepted the possibility that I only have a few months left before the court process concludes and I may be given a jail sentence.
“I don’t regret (what i did) and I won't change my stance or approach because I believe as an individual my responsibility is to speak the truth
“Whatever the consequences of speaking the truth, I leave it to Allah,” he said in a statement today.
Rafizi, who is also Pandan MP, said he will not stop speaking up on issues involving the rakyat.
Meanwhile, the PKR vice-president said he had conducted a survey and most of the respondents said they want a leader who bring up issues relating to the rakyat.
Although 97 percent of the 718 respondents believe that there is solid evidence implicating Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak in the 1MDB scandal, only 67 percent believe that new revelations on 1MDB will affect their decisions about the state investment arm.
“Respondents want people's representatives to fight about issues affecting the rakyat,” Rafizi said.
Citing the findings, Rafizi said the Pakatan Harapan leadership as well as lawmakers must go back to defending the rakyat’s plight.
“This is the reason why I rarely comment on the 1MDB scandal and on polemics to change the prime minister as this should be balanced with efforts to defend the rakyat,” he said.
Session judge Zulkarnain Hassan in today’s decision said that the prosecution had managed to establish a prima facie case.
Among the reasons cited were that Rafizi was proven to have possessed as well as exposed page 98 of the auditor-general’s report on 1MDB which is still classified under the OSA.
He is facing two charges under the OSA for disclosing the classified documents that purportedly link Lembaga Tabung Angkatan Tentera (LTAT) and 1MDB at the Parliament lobby on March 24.
The charge under Section 8(1)(c)(iii) of the Act provides a jail term of up to seven years, if found guilty.
He was also charged under Section 8(1)(c)(iv) of the same Act which provides a maximum seven-year jail term, upon conviction. - Mkini
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