Is Rafizi Fighting For Justice Or Burnishing His Dented Image

---

 
EVER since former economy minister Datuk Seri Rafizi Ramli quit his cabinet post, his break from his boss Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim has widened.
His animus against the Prime Minister surfaced when he lost the PKR deputy president post to the latter’s daughter Nurul Izzah during the party election.
“Mr Formula” exhibits a pattern of behaviour typical of politicians who become resentful when they lose their high-ranking post in the party or in the government.
Rafizi must be really annoyed that Anwar’s daughter managed to wrest the number two post from him whom many thought was unshakeable.
Although still an MP, he is effectively thrust out into the political wilderness and may eventually see his political career come to an end.
But it looks like this once close ally and strong supporter of Anwar is not going to go down without a fight. He must make some loud noise to express his displeasure with the PKR president and in the process reclaim the high ground.
Hence, he must latch on to some issues to attract public attention in order to foist himself into the limelight.
‘Tightening the screw’
And the Pandan MP conveniently found one controversial issue that has recently been making huge waves in the public arena – the allegation that someone has interfered in the appointment of judges to fill the top judicial posts.
Rafizi promptly bestirred himself and pointed an accusing finger at Anwar for allegedly planning to pick a judge of his own choice for the post of chief justice.
To make it look like a crisis has engulfed the country, ‘Mr Formula’ has resorted to playing the all-too familiar broken record named the royal commission of inquiry (RCI) to look into Anwar’s alleged interference into judicial matters.

Every time something goes awry. you hear this tiresome record being played over and over again.
To tighten the screw further, Rafizi also took out another popular tool: online petition. He wants all Malaysians to sign this petition to show their unstinting support for the judiciary supposedly under siege.

Have Malaysians responded to the online campaign enthusiastically and overwhelmingly? One wonders.


It doesn’t matter that the judicial storm has somewhat subsided with the appointments of the new chief justice and two other senior judges.
The Rafizi’s show must still go on: he is taking up his big cudgel and will be beating around the country to draw attention – largely to himself.
“Crusader of justice’
For sure, any controversial issue will come under his intense scrutiny as he eagerly searches for any opening to launch his salvoes.
Recently, he shined his light on some controversial business dealings allegedly linked to Anwar’s former aide Datuk Seri Farhash Wafa Salvador Rizal Mubarak.
It rapidly developed into a political hot potato with Rafizi turning up the heat with a strident call on MACC to open an investigation paper on the dealings.

Invariably, he shifts his target to Anwar himself because he seems to smell a rat in this whole issue.
From the looks of it, Rafizi is transforming himself into a crusader for justice; if he can succeed in causing severe headache for PMX, it will give him a big boost to his image.
But when politicians play up issues of national importance, the real narrative is not about fighting for the causes they espouse but more about resuscitating their waning political career.
Rafizi – like all disgruntled politicians who have fallen out of favour – must take up a new role to stay relevant in national politics but one wonders: is he trying to burnish his dented image or assuming the guise of a people’s champion fighting for justice? 
Phlip Rodrigues is a retired journalist.
The views expressed are solely of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of  MMKtT.
- Focus Malaysia.

---