Khairy to sue Rafizi over comments on Rantau

(FMT) – Barisan Nasional (BN) Youth chairman Khairy Jamaluddin is planning to take legal action over claims by PKR vice-president Rafizi Ramli that he was responsible for the Election Commission’s (EC) decision to prevent PKR candidate Dr S Streram from entering the nomination centre at the Seri Rembau Hall on Saturday.

Khairy said although Rafizi had made many remarks about him before and gotten away with it, he would not let the Pandan incumbent off the hook this time as it involved the integrity of the May 9 general election.

Khairy, who is also Umno Youth chief and BN’s candidate for the Rembau parliamentary seat, said Rafizi’s “baseless accusation” and his spread of false news via his Facebook and Twitter accounts were an offence under the Anti-Fake News Act 2018.

“I will take action against Rafizi… This is a serious matter as I am an election candidate. This is about the credibility of the election in Rembau, and I’m going to drag him to court.

“I want him to be brought to justice because he has many defamation cases, the latest being the (Dr Streram) case in Rantau. Let the courts decide,” he told reporters here yesterday.

Khairy said his lawyer would file a letter of demand to Rafizi to withdraw his statement.

“If Rafizi does not retract the defamatory remarks he made against me, then I will file a defamation suit against him,” he said.

Khairy said Rafizi had also allegedly raised racial sentiments among the Indian voters in the state and the Rembau parliamentary seat by saying that a candidate from the minority had been rejected to contest in GE14, inciting the voters to rise in “revenge” against BN.

“This is an extremely irresponsible act… playing with racial sentiments.

“PKR is said to be a multiracial party but yesterday Rafizi proved that he was a politician willing to bank on racial sentiments.

“I hope that the Indians will not easily fall for this racial game by PKR but will continue to support me and other BN candidates in the state and the Rembau parliamentary constituency for my service to the constituents.”

On Saturday, Umno Youth lodged a police report against Rafizi over his reportedly defamatory remark on social media regarding the victory of Negeri Sembilan Menteri Besar Mohamad Hasan in Rantau.

Mohamad won the Rantau state seat after Streram was barred from entering the nomination centre to file his papers as he did not have his candidate’s pass as required by the EC.