Former economy minister Rafizi Ramli speculated that DAP leadership may have "subcontracted" its youth wing to ensure that the party is represented at the rally against MACC chief commissioner Azam Baki.
Rafizi explained that the political reality is that DAP leaders such as Transport Minister Anthony Loke and Digital Minister Gobind Singh Deo will find it challenging to make public statements on the matter.
This is in light of Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim's public support of Azam, whom the former has praised for his purported bravery against corruption.
"It is difficult for senior leaders like Loke or Gobind to speak out because they are members of the cabinet and the Pakatan Harapan presidential council; they would be questioned as to why they haven't raised the matter directly with Anwar.
"Therefore, it would be easier to subcontract this to DAP Youth so that at least DAP is there (at the rally), and the same goes for MCA.
"This means that they (DAP and MCA) have accepted - regardless of whether the rally is lacklustre or not and how many people attend it - that this is not a small issue, especially to Chinese voters," the former PKR deputy president said on the latest episode of his "Yang Berhenti Menteri" podcast last night.
Rafizi noted that this is the first rally that has united the two traditional rivals, underscoring his belief that both parties acknowledge the severity of the issue.
In a statement today, Gobind urged newly appointed MACC chief commissioner Abdul Halim Aman to scrutinise the "corporate mafia" scandal as well as Azam's shareholding.
The Damansara MP said Halim must outline his vision for the commission and present a clear roadmap of the specific reforms he intends to implement to safeguard the MACC’s independence and prevent future abuses of power.
Gobind said this is important to restore public confidence in the anti-graft agency, which has found itself shrouded in power abuse and misconduct allegations.
In December, after a crushing defeat in the Sabah election, Loke vowed that DAP would reassess its role in the government if Anwar failed to deliver meaningful reforms within six months.
On Thursday, the youth wings of DAP and MCA confirmed their attendance at the Tangkap Azam Baki” rally scheduled for this evening in Kuala Lumpur, but neither could resist taking jabs at each other.
DAP condemned MCA for its "blatant hypocrisy" while MCA Youth urged Harapan to honour its reform pledges.
No support from political bloc
Commenting further, Rafizi said that this is the first major rally to not receive support from any political bloc.
He claimed that PKR has been the most aggressive in attacking the rally, interpreting this as a sign that the party views it as "something dangerous".
He further highlighted Harapan's inaction over Azam, adding that those within the coalition who praise him now are the same people who had "cursed" him prior to forming the government.
Due to this, coupled with the silence from BN and the opposition coalition Perikatan Nasional, Rafizi said that the rally is already an achievement for forcing the issue into the public eye.
Last week, electoral watchdog Bersih said it is anticipating a larger crowd for the rally compared to previous gatherings as Azam has gained increasing public attention over recent controversies, including his share ownership and alleged misconduct linked to a “corporate mafia”.
Rafizi sympathises with Nurul Izzah
Rafizi also spoke about Nurul Izzah Anwar, expressing sympathy for his successor as the current PKR deputy president.
It began with her announcement that she was running for the post that Rafizi had held at the time - a decision the latter said had angered many party members.
The issue was compounded by her having to balance the dual duties of being the deputy president to the prime minister, her father, while managing the party's internal affairs, Rafizi said.
Then she was entrusted with leading the party's strategy for the Sabah election, a role that she had never taken on before, he added.
Nurul Izzah was one of two directors for the state election in November, which saw PKR lose all but one of the 13 seats it contested.
Rafizi opined that the disastrous results must have been demoralising for her, as she also had to field vicious comments from Malaysians online about the party's performance.
At the same time, Rafizi said other corruption-related issues involving individuals linked to PKR had begun to surface, citing Anwar’s former aide Farhash Wafa Salvador Rizal Mubarak as an example.
On top of that, Rafizi said Nurul Izzah cannot afford to undermine her father's leadership of the party by speaking up on controversial issues, such as Azam.
"She has cornered herself and the party has allowed it to happen, causing Nurul Izzah, who is a big asset to the party, to now struggle in this difficult situation," he lamented.
He warned that the issue could spread beyond internal friction to affect public perception of the party, leading voters to believe that PKR could no longer be a viable option in the next election.
The Tangkap Azam Baki secretariat had launched the rally to push for a comprehensive investigation into Azam’s share ownership and alleged misconduct linked to a “corporate mafia”, claiming that Anwar and the government have yet to provide a full explanation.
In February, Bloomberg and Malaysiakini reported that Azam possessed shares in excess of public service rules.
Subsequently, Bloomberg published another report alleging that senior MACC officers had colluded with private individuals to stage corporate takeover of rivals, with Azam’s alleged awareness and support - claims which Azam has since denied. - Mkini
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