Email on 'bomb plans' a 'bad play', says Rafizi

PKR strategies director Rafizi Ramli, who was questioned by the police over an email calling for chaos at the price hikes rally on December 31, calls it a "bad play".

Speaking to reporters at the police station this morning, he said he was shocked to receive a call from the police over alleged bombs planned for the rally.

"This matter isn't just a bad play (permainan buruk), but it sets a bad precedent.

"After this, if someone gets an email concerning (Prime Minister Najib Razak's wife) Rosmah Mansor, are they going question her?" he quipped.

Rafizi said what the police should do is investigate the blogger andUtusan Malaysia who are the ones spreading the purportedly fake email, before questioning the ones implicated without proof.

The Pandan MP also denied any knowledge of explosives.

"The only bomb that I know is kuih bom," he joked.

Earlier, Rafizi reported that he has been summoned to appear at Dang Wangi police station at 11.30am.

"I suspect the PDRM has called me in to give my statement in relation to the slander that the Umno blogs had started, that I am involved in planning to plant bombs in certain locations on December 31," he said in an email last night.

Police crime investigation director Hadi Ho Abdullah later issued a statement confirming that Rafizi is being questioned over an email allegedly sent to him from Abdul Rahim Ghouse, a close associate of PKR de facto leader Anwar Ibrahim.

Abdul Rahim was reported denying he had sent the offending email.

Hadi Ho: 1,151 police reports lodged

"PDRM views as serious the circulation of an email said to be sent by Rahim Ghouse to Rafizi Ramli concerning plans to detonate bombs at several strategic locations during New Year's Eve," said Hadi Ho.

He claimed the police have received 1,151 police reports nationwide objecting to the organising of the anti-hike rally "that threatens public order".

The said email was circulated on the Internet and reportedly published in full in Umno-owned daily Utusan Malaysia's weekend edition Mingguan today.

Rafizi, who arrived at the Dangi Wangi district police headquarters with lawyers N Surendran and Latheefa Koya, was questioned for some 40 minutes.

Later, Rafizi told reporters he will be lodging a police report againstUtusan and pro-Umno bloggers Papagomo and The Unspinners for circulating the email.

Rafizi also questioned police’s haste in arresting youths for voicing dissent on social media but is slow in hauling up the bloggers who circulated the bomb claim.

He further denied having any part in the email.

"I am not involved in this email and I didn't go through them," he said.

The determination of civil society groups to hold a rally on New Year's Eve to protest a deluge of price hikes has provoked allegations of plans to topple the government.

Yesterday Kuala Lumpur deputy police chief Amar Singh Ishar Singh alleged that the protestors plan to use various weapons, including grenades, to spark unrest.

Such allegations are reminiscent of allegations of unrest and the use of weapons in 2011 during the massive Bersih 2.0 rally for clean and fair elections, when the police claimed to have found parangs and Molotov cocktails but those responsible have never been identified.

The rally, called by several NGOs, is a response to a growing number of price hikes following the slashing of sugar and fuel subsidies, and revisions of various taxes.

Affected have been petrol and sugar, and in 2014, electricity, transport fares and Kuala Lumpur's assessment rates among others, which is expected to have inflationary effects.