Selangor Journal

Wan Azizah: Rafizi’s prosecution a sad day for Malaysian democracy

BY: ERMIZI MUHAMAD
SHAH ALAM, NOV 15: Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak must reveal the Auditor-General’s Report regarding 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) that is classified under the Official Secrets Act (OSA), said Opposition Leader Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail.
She said this following the Sessions Court decision to impose an 18-month jail sentence on KEADILAN Secretary-General Rafizi Ramili under the OSA.
“Putrajaya’s refusal to declassify the full report regarding 1MDB from the OSA will only reinforce the perception that it is a kleptocratic government that doesn’t want the truth to be known,” she said in a statement.
wan-azizah
She said the classification of the report under the OSA also prevented the Parliament to discuss about the issue and to identify how such a sum of money could be successfully embezzled by certain parties.
Rafizi was previously charged with possessing the 98-page Auditor-General’s Report without permission, which is a violation of Section 8 (1)(c)(iii) of the OSA.
The Pandan Member of Parliament exposed the details of report at a press conference at the Parliament lobby.
The Sessions Court however has set aside the sentence temporarily while waiting for the defendant’s appeal.
bebas-rafizi
Elaborating further, Wan Azizah said that the situation is unlike what is happening in Singapore, the United States and Switzerland, where investigations and legal actions have been taken against several individuals who are directly linked to the embezzlement of the rakyat’s money through 1MDB.
In Malaysia, however, the person who revealed the truth is dragged to court for defending the people’s rights and interests.
“This is a sad day for Malaysian democracy when a democrat is taken to court for daring to stand up for the rights and interests of the rakyat,” she said.

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Editor Selangor Journal