Lawyer to Rafizi: If Adam should quit, you should too

Shamsher Singh Thind tells Rafizi Ramli that he, too, is a 'criminal for now'.

GEORGE TOWN: Law lecturer Shamsher Singh Thind says PKR vice-president Rafizi Ramli should take his own advice to Adam Rosly and step down from his party post since he too is under investigation.

This followed Rafizi’s response to the Ampang PKR Youth chief, who was charged last Friday with falsifying details of his wealth under the Anti-Money Laundering, Anti-Terrorism Financing and Proceeds of Unlawful Activities Act.

He allegedly committed the crime during an investigation by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) in February.

MACC has since frozen Adam’s bank accounts and seized his RM1.2 million bungalow and five luxury cars.

Following this, Rafizi called on Adam to declare his assets and go on leave pending the outcome of his trial.

He said the PKR leadership should distance itself from Adam’s personal issues, in light of the 14th general election due next year.

Speaking today, however, Shamsher, a former DAP member, reminded Rafizi that he had been found guilty under the Official Secrets Act 1972.

“You were sentenced to 18 months in jail. The fact that you are appealing against the conviction and you got the stay of sentencing does not change the fact that you are a criminal for now.

“Apa lagi, resign lah! Why are you still holding on to your party post?” Shamsher said.

On Nov 14, the Kuala Lumpur Sessions Court sentenced Rafizi to 18 months’ jail over two charges of leaking a classified 1MDB audit report to the media at a press conference.

He reportedly committed the offence at the Parliament building in the late afternoon between March 24 and 28.

However, the court granted Rafizi’s application for a stay of execution pending his appeal.

Shamsher added that Rafizi should stop passing remarks on Adam’s court case, as it might be sub judice.

“Whether you (Rafizi) or the ‘public’ find his case straightforward is immaterial.

“So shut your mouth or you may be held in contempt of court for breaching the sub judice rule,” Shamsher told Rafizi, adding that Adam was innocent until proven guilty by the court.

He also hit out at Rafizi for saying that Adam’s case was different from that of Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng as Adam had not declared his assets and could not explain how he had amassed his wealth.

“I think the public is wise enough to tell the difference between pure political persecution cases and cases which clearly cannot be explained by the current moral standards we uphold in Pakatan Harapan,” Rafizi was quoted as saying on April 25.

Responding to this, Shamsher said Lim’s case was also straightforward.

“Lim Guan Eng was not charged for buying a cheap house. He was charged for buying a house under the market value knowingly from someone with whom he has official dealings as the CM. Is not this straightforward?”

Shamsher had been vocal even as a DAP member. He caused a stir during the party’s Penang convention last year when he questioned the DAP leadership for working with Dr Mahathir Mohamad and ex-deputy prime minister Muhyiddin Yassin. -FMT