‘I FORGIVE YOU’ …DEAR SIS : EVER THE ‘SLICK OPPORTUNIST’, RAFIZI RISES ABOVE PKR ‘WILD WOMAN OF POLITICS’ LATHEEFA

KUALA LUMPUR: PKR vice-president Rafizi Ramli (pic) says he has forgiven Latheefa Koya and other party members who have accused him of being an “Umno agent”.

“I forgive Latheefa and others who made accusations against me. I understand that political views are always filled with emotions,” he said in a blog post on Tuesday.

Rafizi appeared unfazed over claims that he had been “bought over” by Umno, pointing out that such rumours have been circulating for the past year.

Rafizi also emphasised that he had not met any minister or senior leader from Barisan Nasional, aside from locking horns with them in Parliament.

“I only met Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi once in court in 2012 over his summonses against me.

“Latheefa’s accusation is nothing new. Stories about me making a deal with the Deputy Prime Minister to destroy PKR from within, in exchange for not going to jail, has been making rounds for more than a year.

“However, I will not answer these accusations. I’d rather spend my time preparing the election machinery for marginal seats assisted by Invoke,” he said.

Invoke is a policy research centre founded by Rafizi in October last year.

Rafizi is currently facing an 18-month jail sentence for exposing the 1Malaysia Development Bhd (1MDB) audit report without approval. The court has allowed a stay of the sentence pending appeal.

He is also facing charges under the Banking and Financial Institutions Act (Bafia) 1989 for revealing confidential banking details linked to the National Feedlot Corporation (NFC).

Rafizi said Opposition leaders should not feel threatened by him because he might be leaving politics for good due to his impending prison sentence.

“I may be barred from entering politics for a period of more than seven years. I’m not sure if I will remain in politics after serving my sentence because I cannot read the future.

“That’s why I shouldn’t be seen as a political threat to my party colleagues. Instead, they should see me as a leader with differing opinions,” he said.

On Monday, Rafizi admitted that he was the party member referenced in Facebook posts by lawyer Latheefa.

Latheefa had, however, declined to comment on her sternly-worded Facebook postings, which had targeted a senior party member in PKR and fuelled much speculation in the comment sections of her status updates.

ANN