Rafizi stands by fuel subsidy remarks, says ready to face PM in court
(Malay Mail Online) – PKR MP Rafizi Ramli said today he will stand by his allegedly defamatory remarks criticising the removal of fuel subsidies by the Najib administration, and is prepared to defend himself in court.
The Pandan MP, in a reply by his lawyers to the letter of demand from Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak, insisted that his comments on the issue were a matter of public interest.
“I am confident that my criticism of Najib’s decision to remove subsidies at a time when wastages still exist is true, and I will defend my speech in court,” he said in a brief press statement accompanying the letter to the prime minister.
In the letter prepared by legal firm Daim & Gamany Advocates & Solicitors, Rafizi’s lawyers explained that their client was “surprised” that Najib had chosen to issue a legal demand over a “matter of public interest”.
“Our client as a Member of Parliament is duty bound to raise and explain such issues to the Malaysian public.
“We are finally instructed to convey to your clients that our client will vigorously defend any writ issued by your clients in this matter,” the lawyers said.
Rafizi had on December 4 received the letter of demand from Najib through law firm Hafarizam Wan & Aisha Mubarak.
In his response then, the lawmaker said: “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.”
“[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 1Malaysia Development Bhd fund.
According to the letter of demand, 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.
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.
