Lying with impunity: From 'umrah' to bank loans, Shahrizats show contempt for the law

I take note of the attempt by Dato’ Seri Shahrizat Jalil’s family members to implicate me in various charges under the Bank and Financial Institutions Act (BAFIA) on top of the legal actions that they had initiated so far.

I respect that it is within their right to seek legal recourse if they feel that some provisions under the act have been breached. I shall let the law to take its natural course and cooperate with any investigation in relations to the police reports lodged by Dato’ Seri Salleh Ismail and family.

Thick-skinned, even lying about the umrah

Unfortunately, Dato’ Seri Salleh Ismail and family seem to adopt a different attitude when it comes to their own violation of laws and betrayal of the public trust. Up until today, they have not suspended any operation or return any of the vast assets that they had suspiciously accumulated over the last four years since they withdrew the RM250 million public funds meant for NFC.

In many instances of the asset purchase, it has been demonstrated clearly that every director including the children of Dato’ Seri Shahrizat Jalil had violated numerous laws and corporate governance; yet none of the children has been charged in court so far.

Even in the simple case of obtaining his passport temporarily, Dato’ Seri Salleh Ismail has lied to the court and breached the condition imposed by the court yet again.

In his application, he stated specifically that he shall be performing an umrah in between 28 April 2012 to 5 May 2012. In fact he was not even abroad as he was busy lodging reports against me with the police and the Bank Negara Malaysia during that period.

Bank loans withdrawn only after NFC scandal broke out

Nothing in his denial issued yesterday that can clear the public doubt that he has unlawfully leveraged on the RM250 million public funds to obtain bank loans to purchase eight expensive properties at KL Eco City.

Dato’ Seri Salleh Ismail argued that I had defamed him because he had never taken any loans to purchase the units. However, what he could not deny was the bank loans were initially given to him but later withdrawn after the NFC scandal broke out.

The loan offer was made on 23 May 2011 but cancelled on 4 January 2012 luckily due to the bank’s cognisant of Dato’ Seri Salleh Ismail’s involvement in the NFC scandal.

It is the Shahrizats who are on trial by the public

I am willing to face any consequences due to my active role in exposing the NFC scandal. There is no shame to receive a sentence for doing what is right.

But there is every shame when you have been exposed publicly for misappropriating funds meant for the poor without you showing any sign of remorse or humility.

NFC’s attempt to turn the tables on me and and put me on trial will not succeed. I am not on trial here. It has always been NFC that is being carefully judged by the public.

Rafizi Ramli is the strategy director for Parti Keadilan Rakyat