1MDB slams Rafizi for allegedly exposing state secret
(Malay Mail Online) – 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) accused PKR’s Rafizi Ramli of ignoring the law today when he exposed what he claimed to be an excerpt from the Auditor-General’s report on the firm, which had earlier been classified as a secret document.
The state-owned firm said if the document was indeed authentic, Rafizi should face punishment for breaking the law.
“1MDB trusts that the relevant lawful authorities and Parliament will further investigate YB Rafizi’s claim that he has publicly shared a document classified under the OSA, which in turn, is part of an ongoing Parliamentary investigation,” the firm said in a statement, referring to the Official Secrets Act (OSA) 1972 and the Public Accounts Committee’s (PAC) investigation.
“If any wrongdoing is found to have taken place, we trust that action will be taken under the law,” it added.
Section 8 of the Act stipulates that a person found guilty of exposing an official secret could face up to seven years in jail.
At the Dewan Rakyat lobby earlier today, Rafizi revealed details from what he claimed was an excerpt of the AG’s report on 1MDB to prove that the firm was partly to blame for delays in the Armed Forces Fund Board’s (LTAT) gratuity payments.
Malay Mail Online did not report the matter due to restrictions under the OSA.
1MDB, however, addressed Rafizi’s claims and accused the lawmaker of lying.
“1MDB strongly denies that it is the cause of any payment delays to members of the armed forces,” it said.
“1MDB understands that LTAT will, in due course, provide clarifications that will conclusively debunk the so-called link between 1MDB’s contract with PPHM and LTAT’s payments to members of the armed forces.
“This so-called link is a lie deliberately concocted by YB Rafizi, who has shamelessly tried to pass it off as fact,” the firm added.
Rafizi has been alleging that LTAT subsidiary Perbadanan Perwira Hartanah Malaysia’s (PPHM) deal with 1MDB in a relocation project was the cause of the delayed payments.