LCS issue: Rafizi denies defaming woman

 

Economy Minister Rafizi Ramli declined Zainab Mohd Salleh’s ultimatum to apologise over a claim that she was the wife of a former minister linked to the littoral combat ship (LCS) issue.

The PKR deputy president’s counsel Razlan Hadri told Malaysiakini that it was because his client’s statement was not targeting Zainab but the major issue of the purportedly improper way the LCS contract was awarded by the past government.

Razlan said while it was acknowledged that Zainab was not the wife of Abdul Latiff Ahmad - a former minister in the Prime Minister’s Department - he said Rafizi would not be apologising to her.

It was because the minister's statement was based on the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) report on the LCS issue.

“Rafizi’s statement is not defamatory (against Zainab) as it was focused on the government procedure and procurement linked to the (LCS) project,” the lawyer said.

“If she still wants to sue, I have instructions (from Rafizi) to accept service of the cause papers (court documents for any lawsuit that may be filed),” Razlan said recently.

Meanwhile, when contacted recently, the woman’s counsel Yusfarizal Yussoff said she is “seriously considering” hauling Rafizi to the civil court over alleged defamation.

The lawyer said their current stance was due to the response by the parliamentarian to her letter of demand issued back on March 23, where she demanded that the minister apologises within 14 days.

“After seeing Rafizi’s unfavourable response, Zainab is seriously considering all possibilities to pursue the matter to court,” Yusfarizal told Malaysiakini.

Zainab’s letter of demand

Through her letter of demand to Rafizi dated March 23, Zainab has denied being Latiff’s wife and issued the 14-day apology ultimatum to the lawmaker.

She claimed that the Pandan MP published six defamatory statements between Aug 22 and Nov 1 last year on his blog, as well as on his TikTok account.

Zainab rubbished the statements as untrue, which she claimed implied her to be Latiff’s second wife and that she allegedly acted as a proxy for him in a defence contract linked to the LCS project.

She claimed that Rafizi made the statements with a political motive due to the 15th general election (GE15) and he never tried to contact her before making the allegation.

Zainab’s lawyers issued the 14-day ultimatum where she demanded Rafizi make an apology to be carried in newspapers and online media, make a written undertaking to prevent him from further making any defamatory statements, and propose appropriate compensation.

On Aug 22 last year, in his hunt for so-called “big sharks” involved in the LCS scandal, Rafizi claimed that Latiff was involved in it through two offshore companies which Zainab allegedly controlled.

Rafizi claimed that information about the companies’ offshore status and about Zainab was first leaked by whistleblowers involved in the Panama Papers and Paradise Papers projects.

He also alleged that the purported connection between Latiff and Zainab was recorded in internal probe papers on the LCS scandal.

However, Latiff in an immediate response countered that Zainab was not his wife. - Mkini