When discussing the corruption charges involving Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim’s former aide Shamsul Iskandar Akin and businessperson Albert Tei, PKR’s Rafizi Ramli took a detour to promote his Fleximart.
During a podcast, when asked about Tei being called a “hero” and “whistleblower” for exposing the Sabah mining scandal, the former minister said he disagreed with those labels but added that such corrupt practices are common in Malaysian business.
“There are those who give money (bribes), there are those who take them. Nothing to be shocked about. But in Tei’s case, he is caught in a tight spot because the money was not his. He is just the broker.
“If we were in his shoes, perhaps his life was in danger because the money had already been spent and we don’t know how many millions are gone… He had to sponsor washing machines and dryers,” he said.
At this point, Rafizi pivoted to advertising his Fleximart.
“Oh. I want to do an advertisement,” he said, raising his hand.
“You don’t need expensive washing machines or dryers that require funds from Tei. If you want to wash clothes properly, buy detergent from Fleximart - RM1 for a litre. The cheapest in the market,” he quipped.
Fleximart is a social enterprise convenience store founded by Rafizi in Shah Alam, which aims to ease the cost of living by offering daily essentials and ready-to-eat meals priced under RM5. Beyond affordable goods, Fleximart also creates job opportunities for youth and B40 families.
The Pandan MP was making an obvious reference to Tei, claiming that among the items he had purchased for Shamsul when furnishing two properties, including the official residence in Putrajaya, were a washing machine and dryer.
Moral perspective
On Nov 25, Malaysiakini reported the businessperson claiming that he had spent RM629,000 on Shamsul, which included premium cigars and tailored suits, after being convinced that the Malacca PKR chief would help him recoup the money allegedly given to Sabah politicians in exchange for mineral exploration licences.
Shamsul, who was also implicated in a letter of support controversy a week earlier, had announced his resignation just hours after Malaysiakini contacted him for comment on the allegations.
On his podcast, Rafizi remarked that, from a “moral perspective”, those entrusted with a public mandate and responsibility - the officials in office - bear the greater accountability when it comes to alleged bribes.
“So, from the perspective of law, they are the ones who should be punished. But we need the evidence and testimony from Tei (in court).
“So it is up to the government, MACC and the prosecution on how to do a plea bargain - whether he (Tei) is also sentenced but given a lighter sentence or slapped with a compound.
“But what cannot happen is for those who received the bribes to go unpunished while Tei bears the consequences. The public will not accept that,” he said, echoing his social media post from yesterday.
Tei’s exposé
Since last November, Tei has implicated more than a dozen politicians in Sabah, revealing secretly filmed conversations, screenshots of WhatsApp messages, and other documents.
He has also provided the MACC with more than 300 pages of documents, which purportedly show the money trail of the transactions.
Tei claimed the politicians accepted bribes in exchange for mineral exploration licences. After the licences were cancelled, the frustrated businessperson decided to go public.
In June, Tei and two of the implicated assemblypersons were charged in Sabah, but critics have accused the government of shielding the others from prosecution.
Anwar has denied any cover-up, stating that the case remains open and that the investigation papers are with the Attorney-General’s Chambers.
Eight of the implicated politicians, who include senior members of the Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS) ruling coalition, had retained their seats in last Saturday’s state election.
Meanwhile, Sabah Chief Minister Hajiji Noor has accused Tei of being part of a cartel attempting to monopolise mining in the state. - Mkini
No comments:
Post a Comment
Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.