Rafizi urges Khairy to act on Umno Youth excos in Mara scandal

He says one of the Umno Youth exco members has yet to deny involvement in Mara's controversial purchase of properties in Melbourne.

PETALING JAYA: Rafizi Ramli has demanded that Umno Youth chief Khairy Jamaluddin take action against the wing’s exco members who are allegedly involved in the Mara property scandal in Australia.

The PKR vice-president during a press conference via Facebook said one of the five Umno Youth leaders he had named two years ago had yet to deny his alleged involvement in Mara’s controversial purchase of four properties in Australia.

“He has not denied being involved and the last I checked, he was still holding his position as an Umno Youth executive council member,” said Rafizi.

“He’s not an Umno Youth division exco member nor even an Umno Youth state exco member. He is an Umno Youth exco member and if no action is taken against him, then one day he may even become a candidate or representative.”

In 2015, Rafizi named several people including Umno Youth deputy chief Khairul Azwan Harun and another Umno Youth exco member as being involved in Mara’s purchase of four properties in Melbourne at inflated prices.

Rafizi said the names were from a list that had been presented in Australian and Malaysian courts.

Rafizi said when he first brought up the matter, Khairy had quickly responded by saying that no one should be linked, wholly based on the alleged wrongdoing of other individuals.

“For example, A knows B and the latter makes a mistake which does not involve A,” he said. “If A is dragged into B’s wrongdoing, this is not right.”

Rafizi said the situation had changed since then as both the Court of Appeal and the High Court had dismissed Azwan’s defamation suit against Rafizi.

“If the court dismissed the case, that means what I’m saying is not slander but the truth. Therefore, I again request that Khairy respond as to what he intends to do with the Umno Youth exco members involved.”

Rafizi said Azwan had at least attempted to sue him unlike the other exco member who has still not denied his involvement.

He said Azwan should now step forward to give explain his alleged involvement in the property purchase.

Meanwhile, the Pandan MP said he would keep a close watch on new Mara chairman Awang Adek Hussin, who took over from Annuar Musa on Sept 1.

“The previous chairman was always very crude towards me but I’m still here and he’s no longer chairman.

“As for the new chairman, I will dedicate a lot of time scrutinising his moves.” -FMT