FORMER Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) deputy president Datuk Seri Rafizi Ramli has called on the government to halt what he described as the misuse of civil servants to intimidate individuals expressing differing views on the recent PKR party elections for the 2025–2028 term.
The Economy Minister said that in the past week, several individuals who had shared critical comments on the election process and outcome were subjected to investigations by enforcement agencies, including the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) and the Royal Malaysia Police (PDRM).
"I have received complaints from members of the public who were approached by MCMC and police officers, some without proper documentation, and had their mobile phones and SIM cards confiscated," Rafizi said in a statement issued on Monday.
He criticised the actions as inappropriate and warned they would damage public trust in the administration.
"The content under investigation merely constitutes personal opinions about the PKR elections and does not violate any law. If it is indeed considered an offence, then it should be addressed through transparent and legitimate procedures, not through tactics that instil fear," he added.
The Pandan MP highlighted one case involving a user of the platform X, Amer Hamzah (@amer7211), whose wife lodged a police report after their home was visited by both MCMC and police officers.
In support of his claim, Rafizi attached several documents, including, the content reported, a police report by the wife of the affected individual, MCMC investigation notice, a list of items seized by police.
He also named several other social media accounts allegedly targeted after expressing views on the PKR elections, including pahbedah41, msianaffairs, marioskyjuice, PejuangPH, oreo\_koshka330, and pemudakudu\_my, among others.
"I am confident the Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, and the Communications Minister, Datuk Fahmi Fadzil, have never instructed any action against citizens lawfully expressing their opinions," Rafizi said.
He warned that such operations may have been carried out by individuals misusing the names of senior leaders for personal political gain.
As such, he urged for an immediate end to any form of intimidation, reminding civil servants to remain neutral and not succumb to political pressure.
"Do not mix political views with official government duties. Such actions only tarnish the integrity of our civil administration," he stressed.
Rafizi also announced that a team of volunteer lawyers is being assembled to represent any individuals affected by the alleged actions, to uphold their legal rights.
The controversy follows last month's PKR party elections, where Nurul Izzah Anwar, former MP for Permatang Pauh and daughter of the Prime Minister, was declared the winner of the party's deputy presidency during the launch of the 2025 PKR National Congress in Johor Bahru.
She secured 9,803 votes, defeating Rafizi, who obtained 3,866.
Rafizi had previously lost the deputy presidency to Datuk Seri Mohamed Azmin Ali in 2018 before reclaiming the position in 2022, defeating then-secretary-general Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail. - June 9, 2025
