Tuan Ibrahim’s defamation suit against Rafizi Ramli to proceed to full trial in September

THE defamation case between PAS Deputy President Tuan Ibrahim Tuan Man and PKR’s Datuk Seri Rafizi Ramli will proceed to a full trial next month, with the High Court setting aside six days from 8 September to hear the matter.

Judicial Commissioner Avinder Singh Gill fixed the trial dates during case management held today.

The lawsuit, filed by Tuan Ibrahim, stems from Rafizi’s refusal to retract or apologise for his public allegations that the former had approved a RM2 billion project after the dissolution of Parliament in 2022.

At the time, Rafizi held a press conference in which he questioned the legitimacy of the alleged approval of the Sungai Langat 2 flood mitigation project.

He claimed the project was being negotiated directly with a company while the government was operating in caretaker mode, which, according to him, contravened established procedures.

“Based on internal sources, the ministry was negotiating directly with a company, which could not be done by the interim government,” Rafizi said.

Tuan Ibrahim has firmly denied the allegations, insisting that no financial approvals were issued during the interim government period.

“No approval could be given for any financial allocation during the interim government period,” he stated, adding that he was never approached to approve the RM2 billion project in question.

Describing the accusations as “malicious” and “a distortion of facts,” Tuan Ibrahim said the claims were made “with the intent to slander and destroy my credibility” ahead of Malaysia’s 15th General Election in 2022.

The former minister is seeking legal redress after Rafizi alleged that Tuan Ibrahim had been in the process of awarding a direct-negotiation contract to Mangkubumi Sdn Bhd for the Sungai Langat 2 project. Rafizi also linked Tuan Ibrahim to the controversial Jana Wibawa programme, which has faced scrutiny over its project allocations.

The upcoming trial is expected to attract national attention, given the high-profile nature of both political figures and the backdrop of the general election during which the statements were made. - August 20, 2025