KUALA LUMPUR (Nov 2): Parti Bersama Malaysia leader Datuk Seri Rafizi Ramli said he is cancelling his Tuesday campaign engagements for the Melaka election to present himself to federal police headquarters in Bukit Aman for questioning.

The former economy minister said is he being investigated under Section 500 of the Penal Code for criminal defamation and Section 505 for disturbing public order.

In a statement on his social media accounts on Monday, Rafizi said the investigation stems from a police report lodged on Oct 22 over remarks he made at a Oct 20 rally in Selayang about a purported RM9.5 million bribe to Human Resources Minister Datuk Seri R Ramanan and an alleged "corporate mafia". 

Rafizi compared this police investigation to the probes into him after raising the 1Malaysia Development Bhd, Tabung Haji, Felda and National Feedlot Corporation scandals when he was an opposition parliamentarian. 

"The court acquitted me in those cases. The 1MDB, Tabung Haji and Felda scandals were proven true and became political fodder that helped PKR and Pakatan Harapan a decade ago.

"Now a government led by PKR and PH is using the same Penal Code sections to intimidate me each time I raise the 'corporate mafia' and the allegations against Ramanan," said the former PKR deputy president.

Rafizi, once a staunch ally of PKR president and Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, has been critical of the government's response to allegations that a "corporate mafia" of businessmen was using enforcement agency officers to coerce others into giving up their companies.

Anwar had said in Parliament on Oct 20 that the government will form a special committee, to be led by the attorney general, to look into corporate crime and described Ramanan's bribery allegation  as a “political statement unsupported by evidence”.

Rafizi had said these remarks skirted the real issue of enforcement officers going rogue and challenged Ramanan to sue him over the RM9.5 million bribery claim. Businessman Victor Chin Boon Long had alleged he had paid Ramanan the sum to resolve a "corporate mafia" entanglement. 

Chin is also being investigated for his role in the "corporate mafia" but is now believed to be in China.     

Recently, Ramanan said at press conference that he had declined to sue but wanted Rafizi to prove his link to the "corporate mafia".

Rafizi later claimed that Ramanan made some defamatory statements during that press conference and would sue the minister.     

The corporate mafia allegations were first raised by Bloomberg in February and linked former Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission chief Tan Sri Azam Baki.

Azam denies the allegations and is suing Bloomberg for RM100 million.

Bersama is fielding 16 candidates in the Melaka election.

Read also: 
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Allegation minister solicited RM9.5m in 'corporate mafia' case just a political statement, says Anwar
PM avoided core issue of 'corporate mafia' allegations, says Rafizi