KUALA LUMPUR, April 8 ― PKR's Rafizi Ramli said today he would have no qualms repeating his actions, despite facing imprisonment under a secrecy law for allegedly disclosing information from the Auditor-General's report on 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB).
Rafizi was asked if he still stood by his actions, now that he is facing a mandatory jail term under the Official Secrets Act 1972 (OSA) for the alleged leak of the federal audit's findings on the state investment firm that remain classified a state secret.
“Yeah, if I have the chance, I'll do it again,” the Pandan MP told reporters at the court complex here today after bail was posted for the two new criminal cases against him.
“I don't understand when people ask whether the risk was worth taking or not. I don't think people should be calculative when it comes to right and wrong ― right is right, wrong is wrong. I'm very certain that what I did was right,” the 39-year-old said.
Rafizi, who is PKR secretary-general and also a party vice-president, claimed trial this morning to two charges under Section 8(1) of the OSA over the alleged unauthorised possession and disclosure of a page from the 1MDB audit report in a press conference.
If convicted under either charge, Rafizi faces imprisonment of between one and seven years. A federal lawmaker will lose his or her seat if sentenced to a minimum one-year jail term or a minimum fine of RM2,000.
Rafizi said a large team of around 12 lawyers are currently studying legal actions to mount challenges relating to the OSA, but declined to provide details at this point in time.
“Because I think the focus is on the use of the OSA to bury reports or information that are considered detrimental to the government, which I suppose is not in line with what's the purpose of OSA in the first place,” he said.
Rafizi, who was also charged this morning with criminally defaming Lembaga Tabung Haji, said he was aware of a criminal probe launched against him several weeks ago.
He insisted, however, that his comments regarding the Muslim pilgrimage fund were made “professionally as a chartered accountant”.
“Of course to me, it is a lot easier or more dignified for the management of Tabung Haji to take a civil lawsuit but they resort to taking criminal action.
“We'll fight it in court as well because I'm sure my comments on the financial situation on Tabung Haji was justified especially given my background as a chartered accountant,” he said.
