PKR polls: Green light for Rafizi despite NFC conviction

The PKR vice-president has obtained exemption from the RoS as provided for in the Societies Act.

PKR vice-president Rafizi Ramli will be contesting the deputy president’s post in the party polls.

PETALING JAYA: PKR vice-president Rafizi Ramli has obtained exemption from the Registrar of Societies (RoS) to remain as an office bearer despite a criminal conviction hanging over his head if he wins the deputy president’s post in the party polls.

“Yes, I (have). Otherwise, I wouldn’t have announced my wish to contest.

“I got the exemption under the Societies Act,” he told FMT in a text message.

The former Pandan MP was responding to a query on whether he had obtained clearance from the RoS

Section 9A (1)(b) of the Societies Act states that an office bearer is disqualified if he or she has been convicted of an offence and sentenced to a fine of RM2,000 or more, or a jail term of a year or more.

Section 9 (4) however states that the disqualified person may apply to the RoS for an exemption subject to certain conditions.

On Feb 7, the Shah Alam Sessions Court handed Rafizi a 30-month jail sentence for revealing bank accounts related to National Feedlot Corporation (NFC) subsidiary companies and its executive chairman Mohamad Salleh Ismail.

Former Public Bank clerk Johari Mohamad was given a similar jail term for abetting Rafizi.

They were found guilty under the Banking and Financial Institution Act, or Bafia.

Rafizi’s appeal is still pending in the High Court. He was unable to stand in the May 9 election due to the conviction, as Article 48 of the constitution disqualifies a person from being an MP for five years if he or she is convicted and sentenced to more than a year in jail, or fined more than RM2,000.

Rafizi may take on incumbent deputy president Mohamed Azmin Ali in the PKR polls, although Azmin has been coy on whether he will defend his position or go for the presidency.

PKR de facto leader Anwar Ibrahim, meanwhile, has declared his candidacy for party president. The post is currently held by his wife, Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail.

Rafizi launched his campaign on Sunday, along with eight other running mates, saying Anwar would need a team “100% loyal to him” in order to become prime minister.

He also called for a revival of the Reformasi spirit on which the party was founded, and listed four reasons for his decision to contest. -FMT