Rafizi Ramli has claimed that PKR is attempting to pressure him into leaving the party so he can be removed as an MP.
The Pandan MP said he had received a show-cause letter from PKR accusing him of effectively declaring his resignation from the party when he announced plans to contest the next general election on a non-PKR ticket.
The former PKR deputy president, however, denied the allegation, arguing that he remains a party member as long as he has not formally tendered his resignation or joined another party.
“As long as I am an MP and I do not submit a letter on exiting the party or declare that I am joining another party, I remain a PKR member, and the speaker cannot remove me from Dewan Rakyat,” he said in a lengthy post on X today.
Rafizi also said he would formally respond to the show-cause letter.
“After that, do whatever you want because I am confident that Allah sees everything,” he added.
A copy of the Feb 23 letter addressed to Rafizi, sighted by Malaysiakini, showed that the party had requested Rafizi to explain his remarks within five days.
According to the anti-party-hopping law, lawmakers who resign or “cease to be a member of” their political party will have their parliamentary seats vacated.
However, those who are sacked from their party will be able to hold on to their seats.
Rafizi pans Anwar
As such, Rafizi further claimed that PKR’s leadership is reluctant to outright give him the boot as doing so would allow him to retain his position as a parliamentarian, with the Pandan MP pointing the finger at PKR president Anwar Ibrahim.
“If he (Anwar) sacks me, I will remain an MP. He wants me to declare that I am leaving, then the (Dewan Rakyat) speaker from PKR can declare that I am no longer an MP. Then, they will be satisfied (and say) ‘serves you right’,” the former economy minister said.
“They want me to do the cooking, do the serving, and then they eat. Just like old times - Anwar and PKR wanted me to work myself to the bone lifting him up, going in and out of lock-ups, exposing scandals so people would support PKR, but once he became prime minister, he does as he pleases.
“The Westerners say, ‘he wants to have his cake and eat it too’,” he added, in yet another apparent criticism of Anwar.
In a recent interview with Sin Chew Daily, Rafizi said that while he intends to defend his MP seat in the next general election, his bid to do so will likely be executed without him being a PKR member.
"I don't think I will stand as a PKR candidate. I will still contest in Pandan, that I have made up my mind... How I will contest in Pandan, I think that's a secret," he added.
Rafizi has also repeatedly claimed that the government is using MACC to intimidate him, with the anti-graft agency initiating two separate investigations against him.
The first involves a government deal with British semiconductor giant Arm Holdings, where he is accused of rushing through an agreement that allegedly cost RM1.1 billion.
The second allegation concerns a large solar energy project by UEM Lestra, in which he is accused of steering a contract worth RM2.5 billion to a company with ties to him. - FMT
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