KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 27 — The magistrates court here acquitted and discharged PKR vice president Rafizi Ramli today of criminally defaming Lembaga Tabung Haji through an Internet post in 2016.

Magistrate Umzarul An-Nur Umar made the decision after being informed that the Attorney General’s Chambers has accepted Rafizi’s representation seeking a review of the charge in January.

"The prosecution has received orders to discontinue the case against the accused. We ask that he be released and freed,” deputy public prosecutor Nadia Zulkefli was quoted as saying by Utusan Malaysia.

Rafizi said in a Facebook post that today’s decision vindicated him of the allegations that he had tarnished the Muslim pilgrim’s fund.

He also thanked his lawyers for representing him pro bono.

"God willing, I will pay them with cassava chips (kerepek),” he said when disclosing that they had been paid with sacks of these by a previous client.

Rafizi had been charged in February 2016 over a financial analysis of Tabung Haji he posted on his personal blog.

Under Section 500 of the Penal Code for criminal defamation, he would have been liable for up to two years’ imprisonment, a fine, or a combination of both had he been convicted.