Former minister Rafizi Ramli clarified that he had raised several concerns internally during his time in the cabinet, describing it as the proper course of action.
He was responding to senior lawyer Haniff Khatri Abdulla, who had criticised him for waiting seven months to raise his allegation that the MACC had interfered in the PKR polls, instead of lodging a report at the time.
“Etiquette in an organisation or even a family dictates that we raise these matters internally for action to be taken by those with power,” Rafizi (above, left) said in a video posted on YouTube this evening.
“The same with MACC, the behaviour of the PM’s (former) aides (the video shows an image of Shamsul Iskandar Akin, who has been charged with corruption), including Farhash (Wafa Salvador Rizal Mubarak) - etiquette required me to voice these (issues) to the prime minister first because he holds the power,” he added.
Rafizi, who lost the PKR deputy presidency to Anwar’s daughter Nurul Izzah and subsequently resigned as the economy minister, said he gave Anwar the benefit of the doubt, hoping he would make changes.
“Usually, he (Anwar) will say that he will look into the matter and take action,” he added.
Having exhausted all available avenues, Rafizi said he believes there are still issues that need to be raised, and he is voicing them now, especially since he is no longer bound by cabinet rules.
The Pandan MP claimed that had he publicly raised his allegation of MACC targeting PKR candidates linked to him, the authorities would have conveniently dismissed it as a “gimmick” since he was contesting at the time.
“Back then, the people did not fully understand the political dynamics and the weaknesses in the PKR election. All of it would have just been deemed as an attempt to cover my defeat.
“But the situation is different now, the people can see for themselves the controversies which bring into question MACC’s independence and professionalism,” he added.
Protect MACC’s independence
Rafizi reiterated that the best way to safeguard the MACC’s reputation is to replace chief commissioner Azam Baki and for the prime minister to refrain from renewing his contract.
“MACC must be protected, its contribution has been immense, especially in unravelling the 1MDB scandal. How many honest MACC officers had to make sacrifices to bring (former premier) Najib Abdul Razak to justice?
“So we must defend MACC from inside and outside so that there are no issues which give rise to the perception about its independence,” he added.
Earlier in the video, Rafizi also offered a sarcastic dose of gratitude to MACC for confirming his allegation in a late-night media statement about certain candidates landing in the commission’s crosshairs.
“I would like to thank MACC for issuing the statement at 10pm. Rarely does a government agency issue statements when people are about to go to bed on a Sunday night,” he said.
However, Rafizi claimed that MACC did not provide certain details which would have helped to better understand the matter.
“For example, when MACC did not mention when the incident happened. Because the date coincided with the peak of the PKR election in April and May.
“Secondly, MACC did not mention the allegation that was being investigated - the auction of a low-cost flat, which had to be paid in cash and not through a bank loan. Surely, MACC cannot mention these details, because it would only lend credence to what I have said,” he added.
‘Check my phone records’
Furthermore, Rafizi said the timeline of his telephone conversation with Anwar can be confirmed by checking the phone records.
“I only need to show my phone bill for that month to prove that the conversation did take place and it coincides with the MACC investigation,” he added.
In its statement, MACC denied Rafizi’s allegation that its officers had “surrounded” the home of a PKR candidate, clarifying that investigating officers had gone to the residence to meet the individual and conduct a search to obtain evidence.
“This is a standard investigative method, including an element of surprise to prevent the risk of evidence being destroyed. After confirming that the individual was not at home at that time, the officers left.
“The following day, the individual voluntarily attended the MACC office, his statement was recorded, and he was released without detention. All actions were in accordance with investigative requirements and procedures,” the anti-graft agency said. - Mkini
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