Aliran condemns the arrest of Parti Keadilan Rakyat strategic director Mohd Rafizi Ramli under section 97(1) of the Banks and Financial Institutions Act (Bafia), which carries a maximum jail sentence of three years and a fine of up to RM3m.
Rafizi Ramli – Photograph: Keadilan Daily
Very much known for his recent expose of the award of the Ampang LRT extension project to water-meter and tank-maker George Kent, Rafizi’s arrest today was associated with his disclosure of three financial accounts related to the controversial National Feedlot Corporation (NFC) and its chairperson Mohd Salleh Ismail.
Rafizi was charged for having allegedly breached the secrecy provisions of the banking law “by producing, divulging, revealing, publishing or otherwise disclosing, of any information or document whatsoever relating to the affairs or account of a banking customer”.
For all intents and purposes, the arrest is tantamount to criminalising a conscientious whistleblower whose primary objective is to reveal information for the benefit of the general public and taxpayers.
Worse, this arrest can also be interpreted as a warning to future whistleblowers who intend to unravel financial scandals involving individuals close to the powers-that-be. This is certainly a foolish way to convince the Malaysian public that the Najib administration is serious about waging war against corruption.
The arrest and charge mounted against Rafizi in the wake of the George Kent controversy only lends credence to the suspicion that the PKR strategic director’s latest move has made the ruling Umno-BN so jittery that it responded with a knee-jerk reaction.
We call upon the federal government to stop criminalising conscientious citizens such as Rafizi — and instead to seriously go after the crooked.
Aliran Executive Committee
1 August 2012.
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By arresting Rafizi one day after the announcement that George Kent had been awarded the Ampang LRT extension project, Najib would have done himself a far bigger favor if he had wisely opted to appear on national TV and confess all his (wrongdoings), begging the nation’s forgiveness, and then announcing his resignation as (PM).
We see too clearly from a neutral & democratic New Zealand. For these low lives & criminals, God’ s nemesis will prevail. Look at Gaddafi , then Assad, when Syrians wanted fair & free elections, Assad said there were foreign terrorists wanting to topple the Gov’t… now he kills them. Gaddafi and Assad weren’t even democratically elected! Just like your PM – handed down from Daddy! Even watching from afar, we have reached the brink now: … The people’s power, the people’s day will come.
Looks like BN took the bait. Now they’ve got Rafizi where HE wants them.
The morons from Umno just do not want their scandals and especially their corruption being exposed. Therefore they are just using Rafizi as examples to prevent their scandals and wrong doings being exposed. Consequently what the morns do cannot be exposed and have to face the consequences of the law. This particular law is an ass … and depicts what the morons are and to stop these abuses of the law is first to kick the morons out of Putrajaya in the coming GE and then have them indicted, including … the shenanigan Mahathir. He thinks as a non politician now he can get away from the (wrongdoings) he committed during the tenure of his premiership. But the any ruling party has the right to charge him retrospectively !
The whole nation is riled out and angry over this whistle-blower Rafizi Halim’s arrest, handcuffed, while ex-Women Family Minister Shahrizat sits pretty smiling!
APOLOGIES THE UNCORRECTED VERSION OF WHAT WAS WRITTEN WAS INADVERTENTLY SENT TO YOU. THE FOLLOWING IS THE CORRECTED VERSION FOR PUBLICATION. REGARDS GRK
This is a case of form over substance. Sensationalism and the worst kind of sensationalism of the Ambiga Sreenivasan kind.
There is more than just Aliran, Ambiga, the Malaysian Bar, the DAP and other highly vocal groups that wish to see a more efficient government at any time.
It is in fact both a duty and right of citizens everywhere to take an active part where possible in government and in its activities. And to do so they must act lawfully.
Neither Ambiga nor this man nor Aliran are acting in a responsible and lawful manner that Aliran should now champion their mischief.
There are many forums and methods by which this duty and right can be exercised by individuals. Only in extreme circumstances should it be the streets.
Protests and “whistle blowing” should never consist of propaganda based on untested allegations which are untested or statements by people with a political agenda or an axe to grind in furtherance of their own causes. Above all any such action should be based on the principal of participation, truth and in the interests of all. Not just the Pakatan Rakyaat or Bersih.
Like Ambiga’s allegations that elections were not free and fair (whilst her cohorts in opposition quietly and indulgently hold on to seats they won as an opposition in such circumstances that lacked fairness and transparency as they claim existed at the last elections), this chappie goes to town breaking the law attempting to justify his deeds with the allegations he makes against George Kent and Co.
There is no justification for simply spilling out details of an entities banking details simply on the basis of suspicion or political point scoring.
Like Ambiga and where she failed to and brought the opposition into disrepute, this man continues an undemocratic, unconstitutional approach with adopting a high moral ground approach that everything he claims exists exists because he say so. And shamefully Aliran supports his illegitimate views and methods.
If this man had a proper basis ( a sound legal basis ) for his suspicions and allegations against George Kent and Co or whoever it is he has a gripe against or suspects of wrong doing, then the courts are the proper forum for it.
He deserves to be locked up and made an ugly example of because in doing what he and Ambiga have done, he deprives the rest of us of the forum and jurisdiction of the courts to resolve legal disputes. And his suspicions are not really of a priority that currently needs addressing over others.
The methods adopted by Bersih and this man is similar to what the Fascists in Hitler’s Germany and Mussolini’s Italy used to do to vilify their enemies. Mao more recently was the author of such actions.
Aliran should not endorse the unlawful actions of sensationalists like this man. Simply referring to one as a whistle blower does not make them righteous or honourable. The Jews of world war two were also the subject of “whistle blowers” like victims of Mao’s cultural revolution. What they had in common with this man and Bersih was that they cried foul. And because they cried foul, the lynch mobs lynched anyone they labelled as counter revolutionary in Mao’s case or anti Aryan in Hitlers.
Two wrongs do not make a right. Lets get it straight that to work outside the law is not a manifestation of a democratic or fair mindset.
Hi GRK, what are you on about? You’re talking legalities about people who act above legalities. Comparing Ambiga and Rafizi with despots confirms you are off your rocker. No need to debate the rest of your arguments. You need an appointment with a specialist.
Dear Gopal, which side of the planet are you from? Do you really know what Fascists mean?
You talk of the sanctity of laws in Malaysia, but do you realise that very often the BN government makes an ass of these laws (and these include the undemocratic laws)?
I’d suggest that you take Politics 101 for starters.
GRK is clearly not dealing with a full deck of cards judging by his lack of coherent discussion and reason.
What hes says is tantamount to bringing a toothpick to a gunfight when the Umnoputras clearly do not operate anywhere near fair, just and legal which time and again they so clearly distort, misuse and abuse the laws depending on who’s in the dock.
What BN is doing is merely shooting the messenger and not the perpetrators. This clearly shows that they are shivering in their pants as it is apparent that the NFC and Ampang LRT contract are merely the tip of the iceberg in the lost list of blatant corruption scandals.
These are the most of heinous, nefarious and sinister of human beings (BN) who have no fear in god and will resort to anything … much less using the judicial system to do their evil bidding which is to put fear into those who intend to expose their corruption. We shall not cow down is the message that we must show BN and yet GRK insists we must follow the rules when BN clearly does not.
What BN is doing with Rafizi by going after him is similar to the FBI charging Al Capone fro tax evasion when they could not find evidence of his criminal activity. However the difference between these 2 cases is that the former wants to lock up a righteous man while the latter wanted to lock up a known crook.
The people taking to the streets had little to do with instigation or influence, no more so than if i told GRK to jump off a bridge that he would do so. Rather it is the years of wanton abuse of power/corruption that has turned the tide of dissent and frustration among the people and now they have said enough and rightly so.
rafizi– u are a malaysian hero lah– the cows are coming for u– so run fast