[UPDATED] ‘Expose errors for public interest, not political mileage’

KUALA LUMPUR – Any scandalous revelations the opposition has under its sleeves should only be brought to light in the interest of the people, said Economy Minister Rafizi Ramli.

Rafizi, who is also Pandan MP, urged the opposition led by Perikatan Nasional (PN) to consider how such exposés will benefit citizens instead of choosing to prioritise political gain.

“My advice to the opposition is that if it wants to expose (alleged misdeeds), make sure that it is done for public interest (instead of) mud-slinging or political advantage.

“The public is usually a lot smarter, so we will wait and see,” he said during a press conference today after launching the Economic Census 2023 initiative at Bank Negara Malaysia here.

Rafizi said this when asked to comment on PN secretary-general Datuk Seri Hamzah Zainudin’s claims that he possesses documents on alleged wrongdoing by the current government from his tenure as home minister.

“I used to be the home minister. I think I’ve got a lot of files against them too, whether I want to use it or not,” the Larut MP was quoted as saying in an interview with The Star on Sunday.

‘Will Hamzah risk jail time?’

Meanwhile, Rafizi expressed doubts whether Hamzah will be willing to risk facing the heat of making a scandal public, especially if such actions might violate the Official Secrets Act 1972 (OSA). 

“I wouldn’t be too worried (about Hamzah’s claims). I doubt any politician would want to risk going to prison. 

“The only reason (Hamzah would reveal the supposed crimes) is because the public interest (in the matter) is high that it is worth (exposing). 

“I doubt they (opposition politicians) want to expose themselves to all this (potential jail time),” said the PKR deputy president. 

Rafizi added that based on his experiences, he believes that Hamzah’s claims do not go beyond “mere rhetoric”. 

“If there were major scandals involving anyone, I don’t think you would need OSA documents (to expose the controversy).  

“I don’t see it (Hamzah’s claims) as (being) beyond mere rhetoric. I have gone through that; I have spent over a decade exposing scandals.”

In 2016, Rafizi was found guilty of breaching the OSA and was sentenced to 18 months in jail. 

This came after Rafizi was found to have a page of a classified document on the 1Malaysia Development Bhd financial scandal in his possession without authorisation. 

Yesterday, Pasir Gudang MP Hassan Abdul Karim asserted that Hamzah, who is also opposition leader, had broken the law by failing to take action on the ostensible wrongdoings detailed in the files he claims to possess. 

Damansara MP Gobind Singh Deo had also urged the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission to investigate Hamzah’s statement, noting that anti-graft officers have the ability to lodge a report. – The Vibes, March 14, 2023