Latest news with #RafiziRamli
Daily Express
10 hours ago
- Politics
- Daily Express
Najib's prosecutors must answer for delay in evidence, says Rafizi
Published on: Friday, June 20, 2025 Published on: Fri, Jun 20, 2025 By: FMT Reporters Text Size: Pandan MP Rafizi Ramli said from his experience studying and exposing the scandal, the misappropriation of money involving SRC International Sdn Bhd has a clear money trail. PETALING JAYA: Former economy minister Rafizi Ramli today called on the prosecutors in Najib Razak's RM27 million money laundering case to explain why it was taking them so long to prepare the necessary evidence. In a statement, the Pandan MP said Malaysians did not want to see the case end merely because of the prosecutors' failure to prepare evidence, given its connection with the SRC International Sdn Bhd scandal. Advertisement 'I do not understand why the prosecution took so long (since 2019) to prepare the documents necessary for the case. 'From my experience studying and exposing the 1MDB and SRC scandal before this, the misappropriation (of money) involving SRC has a clear money trail,' he said. Earlier in the High Court, Najib was granted a discharge not amounting to an acquittal (DNAA) in the case involving SRC. Justice K Muniandy said there was nothing to show that the prosecution would be able to proceed with the case for the time being, or proceed within a reasonable time. Advertisement He also said that in the six years since the case was brought against Najib in 2019, it had seen no pursuit of witness testimony, only a plethora of postponements, indicating that the prosecution was not ready. 'Once the accused is charged in court, the charge cannot be hanging over his head for an indeterminate or indefinite period. That would be harsh and illegal,' he said. The decision followed a submission last week by Najib's counsel Shafee Abdullah that it was unfair for his client to wait indefinitely for a fixed trial date, as the prosecution was unable to provide a timeline to gather the exhibits used in the previous SRC trial. Rafizi said he respected Najib's right to request a DNAA, but urged the prosecution to confirm that the Attorney-General's Chambers would refile charges against the former prime minister as soon as possible. 'As an MP, I will follow developments in this case closely to ensure that it does not slip from the public eye,' he said. * Follow us on our official WhatsApp channel and Telegram for breaking news alerts and key updates! * Do you have access to the Daily Express e-paper and online exclusive news? Check out subscription plans available. Stay up-to-date by following Daily Express's Telegram channel. Daily Express Malaysia
Free Malaysia Today
10 hours ago
- Politics
- Free Malaysia Today
Najib's prosecutors must answer for delay in evidence, says Rafizi
Pandan MP Rafizi Ramli said from his experience studying and exposing the scandal, the misappropriation of money involving SRC International Sdn Bhd has a clear money trail. PETALING JAYA : Former economy minister Rafizi Ramli today called on the prosecutors in Najib Razak's RM27 million money laundering case to explain why it was taking them so long to prepare the necessary evidence. In a statement, the Pandan MP said Malaysians did not want to see the case end merely because of the prosecutors' failure to prepare evidence, given its connection with the SRC International Sdn Bhd scandal. 'I do not understand why the prosecution took so long (since 2019) to prepare the documents necessary for the case. 'From my experience studying and exposing the 1MDB and SRC scandal before this, the misappropriation (of money) involving SRC has a clear money trail,' he said. Earlier in the High Court, Najib was granted a discharge not amounting to an acquittal (DNAA) in the case involving SRC. Justice K Muniandy said there was nothing to show that the prosecution would be able to proceed with the case for the time being, or proceed within a reasonable time. He also said that in the six years since the case was brought against Najib in 2019, it had seen no pursuit of witness testimony, only a plethora of postponements, indicating that the prosecution was not ready. 'Once the accused is charged in court, the charge cannot be hanging over his head for an indeterminate or indefinite period. That would be harsh and illegal,' he said. The decision followed a submission last week by Najib's counsel Shafee Abdullah that it was unfair for his client to wait indefinitely for a fixed trial date, as the prosecution was unable to provide a timeline to gather the exhibits used in the previous SRC trial. Rafizi said he respected Najib's right to request a DNAA, but urged the prosecution to confirm that the Attorney-General's Chambers would refile charges against the former prime minister as soon as possible. 'As an MP, I will follow developments in this case closely to ensure that it does not slip from the public eye,' he said.
Malay Mail
11 hours ago
- Politics
- Malay Mail
Rafizi urges AGC to refile Najib's SRC charges after court grants DNAA, slams delay since 2019 despite ‘clear money trail'
KUALA LUMPUR, June 20 — Datuk Seri Rafizi Ramli has today urged for prosecutors to refile the charges against Datuk Seri Najib Razak, after the latter was granted a discharge not amounting to acquittal (DNAA) in the case involving SRC International Sdn Bhd funds. The Pandan MP said he fails to understand why the prosecution has taken such an inordinate amount of time since 2019 to prepare the necessary documentation required to proceed with the trial, causing the High Court to discharge Najib. 'This is especially puzzling considering that the case relates to SRC, for which Najib is already serving a prison sentence following a conviction in an earlier case involving the same company. 'From my experience in studying and exposing the 1MDB and SRC scandals, the SRC case in particular has a more clearly established money trail,' he said in a statement here. Rafizi said the case should not be allowed to fade from public attention due to administrative shortcomings, especially as the money trail in the SRC case is already well-documented. The former economy minister noted that Malaysians expect the authorities to act decisively, given the public interest and Najib's conviction in a related SRC case. 'Therefore, I urge the prosecution to confirm that the Attorney General's Chambers (AGC) will refile the charges as soon as possible and ensure all necessary documentation is prepared so that the case can proceed without further delay. 'As a Member of Parliament, I will continue to monitor developments in this case closely to ensure it remains in the public eye,' he said. Earlier, former prime minister Najib was granted a DNAA in his final criminal case involving SRC International Sdn Bhd funds amounting to RM27 million, after the trial has stalled since 2019. High Court Judge K. Muniandy said the rule of law was applicable to prevent such a detrimental situation whereby an accused person is saddled with criminal charges with no outcome for an indefinite and indeterminate period. With today's DNAA, Najib has only the 1MDB trial still pending. He is currently serving a jail term for the misappropriation of RM42 million in the SRC International funds case. He was also previously acquitted over the removal of key information from the auditor-general's 2016 report on 1MDB; and granted a DNAA in his RM6.6 billion International Petroleum Investment Company (IPIC) criminal breach of trust case.
Free Malaysia Today
a day ago
- Politics
- Free Malaysia Today
Subang a PKR safe seat, but incumbent not easily replaceable, says analyst
Wong Chen announced on June 8 that he would be taking a two-week break from work for a family holiday, during which he would ponder his future in politics. PETALING JAYA : PKR's Subang MP Wong Chen may have sparked some discontent among party grassroots recently, but may be hard to replace given his policy expertise and strong backing from the urban electorate, an analyst said. James Chin of the University of Tasmania told FMT that Subang remains a 'very safe seat' for PKR, and that the party could afford to drop Wong if it wished. However, he said, Wong's contributions went beyond grassroots politics. 'Wong is not easily replaceable. He is one of the few Chinese MPs actively engaged in public policy. He's also quite popular in the Chinese urban community – not because of the usual constituency work but because of his contributions to policy. 'He's also well-known and active in the diplomatic community in Kuala Lumpur. PKR might find that useful, especially when it needs to send someone to defend government policies internationally,' he said. Chin said Wong's recent frustration with the lack of reforms under the unity government arose from his long-time support for Rafizi Ramli and their shared push for change within PKR. 'Wong was in Rafizi's camp. It was all emotional for him after Rafizi lost (the deputy presidency). 'He saw himself and Rafizi as part of the reform group in PKR. It's obvious that he has come to the same conclusion as many Malaysians – that there have been no significant reforms under Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim even after two-and-a-half years in government. 'Wong is just tired of pushing for reforms and nothing is happening. So now he's venting his anger,' he said. Wong drew flak from his own party recently after voicing frustration over the government's failure to carry out meaningful institutional reforms. Last week, Subang PKR deputy chief Wan Hasifi Amin said Wong's remarks were inappropriate for a party MP and called for him to step down if he was no longer aligned with PKR's direction. Wan Hasifi also criticised Wong for not attending a single divisional meeting since being elected to the PKR central leadership council in 2022 – a post he lost in the party's recent elections. Final decision rests with PKR's top leadership Chin said Wong's fate would likely rest with the party's top leadership and not the division, given his background and profile. Azmi Hassan of Akademi Nusantara said Wong was more of a technocrat than a politician, but still won his parliamentary seat because of PKR's support. 'It's unbecoming of a PKR politician to publicly show a loss of confidence in the party. He can't have the best of both worlds – enjoying PKR's platform while criticising the party. That sends a negative message. 'If he has truly lost confidence, he should voice those views internally, not through public criticism,' he said. Azmi said it was too early to speculate on candidates for the next general election, but acknowledged that Wong's remarks could jeopardise his chances of being re-nominated for the Subang seat. On June 8, Wong announced that he was taking a two-week break from work for a family holiday, during which he would ponder his future in politics. The former PKR central leadership council member said he could not shake a deep worry that the government led by party president Anwar would have little to show in terms of institutional reforms at the end of its parliamentary term. Wong lost his seat on the PKR central leadership council in the May party polls, while Rafizi was defeated by Nurul Izzah Anwar for the deputy presidency and subsequently offered to resign from the Cabinet. Wong is a two-term Subang MP, having first won the seat in the 2018 general election with a whopping 92,353-vote majority before recording an even bigger win in the 2022 general election with a 115,074-vote majority. He was first elected an MP in 2013, when he won the contest for the Kelana Jaya seat for PKR with a 28,827-vote majority.
Yahoo
a day ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Raf for now: Don't look back in anger!
JUNE 19 — It only took 70 years to get here. Not sure it'll last, but for now, it's real. In Malaysian mainstream politics when top positions are vied for in major parties, incumbents when defeated depart in the worst possible way. So much so, within parties, the cautionary tale is that leadership battles can end the party. Which is why, the decision by Rafizi Ramli post-defeat to stick around has major significance. All the way from Tengku Razaleigh vs Mahathir Mohamad in 1987 to Anwar Ibrahim vs Ghafar Baba in 1993. Even further back, in 1951, Abdul Rahman Abdul Hamid replaced exiting Onn Jaffar. Over in PKR, the ambitious left when defeated even if not the incumbent. In 2018, Khairy Jamaluddin Abu Bakar chose to stay in Umno after losing the presidential race to challenge Zahid Hamidi, but it was low stakes. It was less than two months after Umno lost national power, and incumbent Najib Razak with mounting legal cases opted out. Zahid till then was only deputy president picked by Najib after the tumultuous sacking of Muhyiddin Yassin. Long story short, Malaysian politics never matured to the point it was OK to lose an internal election and stay put. Acrimony accompanies open contests. The key premise which is unspoken is that members are pawns with no agency except to follow leaders. Leaders manage utilising backroom deals among the elites. Which is what repulsed Rafizi that a leadership decision to deny members the right to pick a president and deputy president was ignored by a substantial number of leaders to knock him off his perch. The man who rather less democracy can now champion more democracy in the party. Despite the trouncing by no less than the president's daughter after a single term, Rafizi pledges to be a party man. But not as minister, just a backbencher. Also, he moonlights as a podcaster and promises to be all fire and brimstone. Free of governmental roles, he is Rafizi Unchained. His vanquisher Nurul Izzah Anwar is warned. Rafizi may offer a new kind of competitive politics. He rebranded his old restrained Yang Bakar Menteri (He who grills ministers), to a more nuclear Yang Berhenti Menteri (The unchained minister). While it is cute to keep the YBM abbreviation, it is not exactly a leap forward, is it? To define oneself as what you were, rather than what you aspire to be. The people want to be inspired, well at least his supporters want to lift him up. YBM is less Malay Dilemma and more of a derivative of Khairy's Keluar Sekejap (Temporarily out). But what is in a name? Based on public perception, a lot apparently. Nevertheless, his platform can transform local politics because it is from a senior politician from the party heading the national unity government. He has personally known the prime minister since he was an adolescent and worked closely with him. Khairy speaks about his experience weighed against developments, Rafizi can speak about current developments intimately and intimate truths. And pals like Chang Lih Kang and Akmal Nasir serve inside the administration. He also gets to attend Parliament for the next two years. News, not hearsay, gets to him fast. So, he'll draw a crowd. Which brings us to his nemesis and now in the spotlight, Nurul Izzah. Can Rafizi provoke broader discussions and can Nurul Izzah and those inside, lead and take on the better thoughts from her party opponent, clearly both have 2028 in mind when the party president post is vacant? — Bernama pic Cricket, lads They will knock heads, that's totally expected. However, Rafizi's decision to stay deserves applause. Malaysia deserves to rise above pettiness. So too does Nurul Izzah, for not disparaging her predecessor and claiming there is space for all inside the party. Her ability to narrate an emergence separate from her father is also an attraction; handled wrongly, a distraction. Where does it leave PKR? The path to parties of ideologies, rather than parties of personalities, is through the corridor of open disputation. Parties are dull and lack meaning without dissent. Politics is adversarial by design. How can better ideas elevate to the top without examination by those most vocally against them? The thing to ask for is fairness in the proceedings. Can Rafizi provoke broader discussions and can Nurul Izzah and those inside, lead and take on the better thoughts from her party opponent, clearly both have 2028 in mind when the party president post is vacant? Staying in lane In the last 10 years, our politics after the end of the Barisan Nasional's monopoly has been about parties finding their sweet spot. PAS was assumed to be the walking wounded after a painful split with Pakatan Rakyat leading to the 2018 General Election. Them just being PAS, without any modern ideas, just a religious conviction appeased a base which was not over-enamoured by modern ideas and submits willingly to religion as the basis of government, and did not appreciate premature eulogies for the party. They emerged with more seats than they did previously with Pakatan. The Borneo parties in varying speeds have accelerated to the singular position that state dignity is only possible through state parties. The results and the continued conversion of politicians back the premise. Bersatu sticks to 'we are more puritanical about our race politics than everyone else' as a selling point but as leaders abandon the cause, they may not regain a pulse without artificial resuscitation. Umno, MCA and MIC are at sea. They have their ageing supporters but no fresh take. DAP refuses to let go of Chinese chauvinism no matter how tantalising an alternate reality is to their core leaders. All of them, at best, hold on to their DNA with no apology. Principles are nice and exclusion is deplorable, but power is nicest and do turn away when people point out your hypocrisy, is the persisting belief in Malaysian politics. 'When they go low, we go high' The line associated with former first lady Michelle Obama, might just be the ticket for PKR. At least with this new Rafizi and Nurul Izzah dynamics. Rather than find a racial, religious or regional niche to thrive, PKR can resist the trite and use the presence of dissension inside the party to advertise the party being the first to join the evolution of Malaysian politics. The tests are almost here. Rafizi as former economics minister has much to say about the SST in motion and the retreat from measures to end subsidies. He is bound to say the prime minister should reconsider. The new deputy president, even when looking in from the outside, must back the PM and his Cabinet. The how it manages clashes of ideas is how PKR can demonstrate to all Malaysians, it is indeed going higher. The stage is set, however all you read is theory for now. The how is completely in their hands. I fear the past may overwhelm them and they too revert to type, to niches. That they wash their hands rather than guide members to better. * This is the personal opinion of the columnist.
