PM to sue PKR’s Rafizi next over fuel subsidy claim

(Malay mail Online) – PKR secretary-general Rafizi Ramli today became the latest opposition lawmaker to be targeted with legal action by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak, this time over allegedly defamatory remarks criticising the removal of fuel subsidies.

The Pandan MP said he received a letter of demand from law firm Hafarizam Wan & Aisha Mubarak earlier today, which he said he had anticipated after DAP’s Tony Pua was similarly sued last week.

“I am proud to be sued by a prime minister, for defending the rights of the public to receive fuel subsidy of at least 30 sen per litre,” Rafizi said in a statement.

“[This is] amid the situation where the country’s leaders spend public funds nonchalantly in projects that burden the people such as 1MDB,” he added, referring to the 1 Malaysia Development Bhd fund.

Rafizi was asked to retract his statement made in the video titled “Kenapa Kita Pertahan Subsidi Minyak” [translated: Why we are defending fuel subsidy], which was part of a speech made in a rally in Bandar Tun Razak.

The MP said he will be replying the letter soon and is ready to appear in court over the matter.

Rafizi also boasted that he is ready to debate the subject of fuel subsidies with any Umno leader, but that none has accepted his invitation.

“I would like to once more suggest [Najib] to debate Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim specifically on the issue of fuel subsidy which has become a major issue with the public,” said Rafizi.

On November 21, Najib ordered DAP’s Tony Pua to retract allegedly defamatory statements on 1MDB or face legal action.

Najib’s letter of demand claimed that the Petaling Jaya Utara MP had defamed the prime minister with remarks made at a fundraising dinner on November 3, which were uploaded in a video titled “Tony Pua: Najib is creating the biggest scandal ever in the history of Malaysia”, by implying that Najib was an incompetent, corrupt and “tyrannical and oppressive autocratic”.

1MDB has been dogged by negative publicity over massive fees paid for bond sales, the near one-year delay in publishing its financial accounts, and most recently, changing auditors.

Putrajaya eliminated its decades-old subsidies for petrol and diesel this month, with price of both types of fuel now determined using a managed float.